


One Man's Castle Blues

by KEBKEN



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Anxiety Attacks, Dealing With Trauma, Drama, Found Family, Humor, Implied/Referenced Gender Dysphoria, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Mihawk is a lot younger than in canon and I took some freedom with his character bc of that, Self-Discovery, Sloppy Makeouts, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:28:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27922291
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KEBKEN/pseuds/KEBKEN
Summary: While out on the sea, Dracule Mihawk rescues a drowning man on a whim. Little does he know that taking in the amnesiac will result in a wild goose chase all around the world for both of them. Mihawk searches for a home, Rosinante for forgiveness. Maybe both of them were wrong for expecting anything but disappointment.
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks & Dracule Mihawk, Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante & Trafalgar D. Water Law, Dracule Mihawk/Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante, minor Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Donquixote "Corazon" Rosinante
Comments: 6
Kudos: 40





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a silly fanfic about being gay, trauma and gender I guess. I wrote all of it during the first lockdown here in germany and am probably not going to finish it. That being said, my friends Mau and Luf ( ehxia and lufink here on ao3) and I put a lot of work into these 20k words so seeing it waste away on my hard drive kind of felt bad. So, here you have it: One Man's Castle Blues! Enjoy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One Man’s Castle Blues
> 
> While out on the sea, Dracule Mihawk rescues a drowning man on a whim. Little does he know that taking in the amnesiac will result in a wild goose chase all around the world for both of them. Mihawk searches for a home, Rosinante for forgiveness. Maybe both of them were wrong for expecting anything but disappointment.
> 
> TW/CW: anxiety/panic attacks, graphic descriptions of wounds/gore, references to torture, childhood trauma, references to gender dysphoria
> 
> Characters: Dracule Mihawk, Donquixote Rosinante, Akagami no Shanks, Donquixote Doflamingo, Trafalgar D. Water Law, Sengoku the Buddha, Monkey D. Garp, "Hundredth Dan" Hack, Emporio Ivankov, Monkey D. Dragon
> 
> Tags: self discovery, found family, dealing with trauma, temporary amnesia, angst, drama, humor, sloppy makeouts, 
> 
> Relationships: Dracule Mihawk/Donquixote Rosinante, (minor) Akagami No Shanks/Donquixote Rosinante, (minor) Akagami No Shanks/Benn Beckmann, (past) Dracule Mihawk/Akagami No Shanks,

0

The silver light of the round moon above illuminated the dark. A storm was raging across the endless sea, making tall waves break through the air. It was typical weather for the Grandline but that didn’t make it any less dangerous. Dracule Mihawk knew that much but remained unmoving on his throne. His bright golden eyes pierced through the night, enjoying the chaos the weather caused around him. Danger had always been something he reveled in, so enjoy it he did. The wind pressed against his cheek, joined by the occasional droplet of water finding its way on deck.

He slowly opened the eyes he had kept closed for a few seconds when he took notice of a source of life with his Haki. His eyes lazily scanned the sea around him. His search was rewarded with the image of a big human floating on a piece of wood. It must have cost them all their might to stay on it because as soon as Mihawk had laid his sight on the mass of black feathers, the body seemed to finally slip into the sea.

The swordsman got up from his sitting position and walked with a controlled speed to the edge of his small ship. He didn’t really care if one more random person died out at sea, it was a pretty usual occurrence after all. With him being the man responsible for the occurrence most of the time too. But, he had been bored recently. Shanks was wreaking havoc out there in the East Blue, most people that challenged him were ignorant weaklings, that didn’t know what it meant to truly wield a sword. He had wanted to use this boring time to go on a vacation for himself. It had been a while since he had had a place to call home after all. This might just be the entertainment he required.

Mihawk set his sword aside, dropped the dark cloak he had been wearing from his shoulders, and shot out into the stormy sea without a hint of fear. He could feel the cold water surrounding his body and his heartbeat was so loud that he could feel it in every limb. The undeniable excitement of the situation made him pick up his pace until he arrived at the spot he had last seen the body of the stranger in. He ducked underwater and quickly swam towards the unmoving human body and did his best to drag them back up to the surface. 

His ability to get back onto the ship would have seemed inhuman to anyone else but to the proud swordsman, it was nothing but a reminder of his worthiness to hold the title he held. Once he dropped the rescued person on deck without care, a small grin crossed his lips. A mysterious, shipwrecked stranger on his small ship, how _exciting_. 

He dragged the tall man towards the back of the ship. There he opened the small trap door that led to his small living quarters beneath the deck. He had a man to take care of.

  
  
  


The next few days proved to be anything but exciting as the stranger would not wake up until Mihawk had finally made it onto the island he had set his eyes on for his vacation. Kuraigana had been destroyed by a war that had torn apart all of the island, not a single human soul was still around. The only thing that was remaining was the massive castle in the center of it and a bunch of rabid apes that had it out for him. 

The mandrills were quite the fascinating creatures to Mihawk. Imitating humans, they were a power to be taken seriously and thus Mihawk had honed his skills by defeating them. The Humandrills were stronger than a lot of humans but even then they hadn’t stood a chance against Mihawk. Since he had defeated every single one of them, they seemed to respect him enough however and who was he to not make use of that? A bunch of apes following his every command? Any man’s dream, really.

That was how Mihawk found himself walking towards the long-abandoned castle, one of the Humandrills following his step as it carried the still unconscious shipwrecked man over its shoulder. Mihawk had taken off the feathered cloak the giant had been wearing and had thrown it over his own shoulders. It was less of a hassle to carry that way.

The sleeping man was incredibly tall and if he had the ability to stand, he would have towered even over Mihakw’s two meters of height.The swordsman quickly discovered numerous wounds, in varying states of recovery, as he changed the other man's clothes. There had been multiple bullet wounds that had been treated already but still looked recent. He had dark and raw bruises on both of his wrists and had other bruises all over his body. Everything together didn’t paint a pretty picture but considering that Mihawk had found him with these wounds drowning at sea. However, he had to admit that the other man must have been strong and stubborn enough to still be alive right now. What a curious person that man must be to find himself in a situation like this.

Mihawk and the monkey walked through the empty and destroyed halls of the abandoned castle. Every now and then Mihawk opened a door to look for a habitable room. After a few tries his search proved fruitful as he discovered a big bedroom. He ordered the Humandrill to drop the unconscious man on the four-poster bed before demanding it to leave the room. He himself stayed back and thought about putting the other man under the dusty old blanket. However, that thought was dismissed quickly when he noticed how the man's long limbs were hanging over the edge of the bed, making it almost impossible to cover him up.

He sat on a chair next to the window across the room and took a look out of the colored window. Kuraigana was a pretty island, with its tall, curly mountains and large, dark forests. The fog was the cause for the ominous atmosphere and the Humandrills hushing through the bushes made one feel watched anywhere that wasn’t the castle. Mihawk really liked it here. A good enough place to make his home, even if only temporarily.

Suddenly he could make out the rustling sound of fabric moving. The lost soul had woken up.

  
  
  


“So, you found me out at sea?” The mystery man asked for confirmation.

“Indeed. You are sure you don’t remember anything?” Mihawk inquired. 

“Ugh, yes. This is… _upsetting_.” 

"That's one way to put it. I am Dracule Mihawk," the swordsman said thoughtfully. He then asked, "Do you have anything I could call you at least? I'm sure I could come up with something amusing if you don't."

“ I- Uhm. Cora, I guess. That much I remember. I think that’s what people called me.” Cora seemed lost in thought after that.

The two had quite a mystery at hand. The tall blonde Cora without memories but with scars upon scars all over his body. Whatever had happened to the man? Some of the scars were old and long healed so Mihawk had to assume that the man had been a fighter of sorts. Funnily enough, Mihawk had the feeling he had seen that face before. The man looked tired, not only because of the situation he had found himself in but also because of the gaunt shape of his brown eyes. The corners of his mouth were turned down and Mihawk could still make out a faint trace of makeup in some spots on the stranger’s admittedly handsome face.

“This might be too much to ask but could I perhaps stay here for a bit?” Cora requested carefully.

Mihawk scoffed, “This island doesn’t belong to me. You do not need my permission to stay here.”

“Alright, I will stay here then. Wherever here actually is.” The blonde realized belatedly that he had no clue where he was. He shifted his position and moved to get up from the bed. He noticed the huge feather coat on the floor next to him and tugged it over his broad shoulders.

“Huh. Did you find this with me?” Cora asked Mihawk with wonder as he finally stood up and walked towards the windows.

“It’s one question after the other with you,” The swordsman realized blandly. “Yes, you were wearing that coat when I found you. And Kuraigana is the name of the island we are currently on. It’s quite gloomy, isn’t it?” 

“ _That’s one way to put it_ ,” Cora mumbled, mimicking the words the swordsman had thrown at him earlier, much to Mihawks amusement. At least the man didn’t seem like a coward. 

Cora didn’t tell the stranger how naked he had felt without the huge mountain of feathers on his back. As he felt around the coat’s pockets, he tugged out a piece of dark red fabric and when he held it out in front of him, he realized that it was a hat. He quickly pulled it over his head and went on to stare out of the dirty window with a grim expression. 

“A war raged here not too long ago. We are the only humans on this island. The castle we are in has been abandoned and most of it must have been messed up by the fighting but as you can see, some rooms have been spared. It’s not uninhabitable,” Mihawk explained from his spot next to the blonde. 

“Only us two? You don’t seem too worried about all of this. Isn’t this even a bit strange to you? I mean, I am just some stranger you found that cannot remember anything. I could be lying for all you know.” 

“You seem to worry for the both of us it seems. I can take care of myself, I doubt you could be of any danger to me. Though, you are welcome to try.”

Cora glanced at the smaller man, his well-trained muscles on display and the sword next to the door. 

“No thanks. I’ll just behave and worry instead.” 

It seemed like Mihawk wasn't in the mood to answer any more questions as he simply answered, "You do that."

  
  


“Mihawk, I’m putting the sofa in front of the fireplace!” Cora shouted from one room to the other, the next day. They had decided to clean up a part of the castle so they could live in it. 

“I found a table that might fit in front of it,” the swordsman declared as he carried it to the other man. 

The rooms they had chosen to furnish were two relatively small bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen they had managed to find. They were currently busy in the supposed living room. Like all the other places in the castle, the room had a high ceiling. One of the walls was almost only made out of windows and a big set of glass doors. The glass was colored in shades of orange and red that complemented its dark wood and stone frames. Beyond the doors was a veranda that was set meters above the ground and thus gave a wide view over the island. While the cold wind nipped at one outside, the fireplace in the wall next to the windows warmed the whole place on the inside. They had put down a dark red couch and a small wooden table in front of it.

“If you ignore all the dust, the cold sneaking in through the windows, and the lack of decoration, this place almost seems nice now!” Cora realized in wonder.

“You set your standards too low, Cora,” Mihawk told him. He wondered why that was. “We are far from done here. Let’s light up the fireplace before the night sets in. “

“Oh! I can do that, you can get started in the kitchen then.” 

“That seems agreeable.” The swordsman left with one last look over the shoulder. No, he needn't worry; the other man wasn’t a helpless baby, he didn’t need Mihawk looking over his every move.

Cora was busy gathering wood from the broken furniture they had collected in one of the corners of the room. One of his arms was already full of it as he tried to break off the leg of a chair with the other. 

“Urgh,” The man grunted when a splinter got stuck in his hand as the sound of breaking wood echoed through space. Blood dripped onto the cold floor and Cora was watching it leave his hand in wonder. Drip, drip, and it dripped and dripped and Cora felt frozen in time. There was a slight sting of pain but to the man, it felt insignificant. 

_It doesn't hurt; I’m not the one in pain. He thought and the wind ripped across the sea and through his hair. His bottle of rum was empty, leaving him with a slight sting in his throat, and the residue staining his mouth and shirt. The spilled tears felt cold on his cheeks when he bent down to look at-_

Bent down to look at... _who_ ? He stared back at his hand. The wood was still stuck in it. What had that been? A memory? Cora felt his chest tighten. Losing control of his body, he fell down onto his bottom. His long legs were sprawled in front of him and the sticks of wood fell from his arms. _What had that been_ ? He looked back at his now shaking hands. God, they were _just_ so _red_ . Had he bled that much? His brows furrowed in a mix of confusion and panic. Tears collected at the corner of his eyes and he quickly grabbed the splinter and ripped it out. One of the tears left his eye. He wiped his hands on his dark pants in panic. The motion was fast and uncontrolled and he just wanted it _off_.

When he looked down again, one of the hands was the normal hue of color his skin usually held. On the other was a small wound that had already stopped bleeding. Cora felt a wave of calmness wash over him. How strange. Then he got back up and collected the stakes stiffly before he walked back to the fireplace in a daze. He wiped his cheek dry and grabbed the package of matches on top of the fireplace. He lit one up and threw it onto the ashy pit, together with two pieces of wood.

The smell of the burning wood filled his nose and he felt it ignite him in a way that made him aware of a need for something he couldn't quite pinpoint. He got up and promptly sat down on the couch. His unhurt hand buried itself in his messy locks as he closed his eyes. He threw his head back. This was such a mess. _He_ was such a mess. 

Everything around him, everything that was happening, it all reminded him of things he couldn’t remember. Everything just felt _so_ out of reach. Just what was he supposed to do? What was he doing here, playing house with some mysterious stranger that could probably kill him at any moment, if he ever grew bored of Cora. He was well aware of the situation he was in, how dangerous this was. But he had nothing to lose anyway, so why even bother. 

His injured hand joined the first one on his face. The hairs cutting through the injured flesh left him with a stinging sensation that he willfully ignored. His hands touched his face, feeling all the inclines and bumps. His crooked nose, his bruised and sunken eyes, his lack of eyebrows, as if it would give him a hint of who he was; It didn’t. 

  
  
  


Cora and Mihawk looked at their completed work in silence. They had furnished all the rooms as they had planned and stood at the door to the kitchen. 

“I’m not sure I remember how to cook,” Cora answered the unasked question. 

Mihawk sighed, “Try to help me then at least.”

The dark-haired man walked into the kitchen and searched through the bag of food they had brought with them. Cora followed him inside and watched him awkwardly. 

“Sure, just tell me what to do,” he requested from the smaller man then.

Mihawk held out his hand, in it were a few potatoes. Cora carefully took them and walked to a free workspace, where he set them down.

“Wash them and cut them into bite-sized slices,” Mihawk explained. He then took out some meat and vegetables. “I’ll take care of the rest in the meantime.”

“Alright, I can do that,” Cora agreed, minutes before he realized that he could _not_ do that. It had only taken him a short time to cut himself with the small knife by accident. _Repeatedly_. And Mihawk didn’t know how that was even possible. Not being able to handle a blade was something unfathomable to him.

“I don’t think I have ever seen anyone so incapable of handling a sharp object,” the man stated, highly amused. 

Cora had one of his injured fingers in his mouth in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

“This isn’t funny,” he complained through his hand.

“I beg to differ,” Mihawk disagreed before adding, “Show me your hand. How bad is the cut?” 

He reached out to Cora's big hand, holding it in between his own. He slid his fingers over the rough palm and inspected not only the cut on Cora’s thumb but also the larger injury that was located there.

“The cut isn’t that bad,” he began. “But when did this happen?” 

Cora looked down at his hand, the wound from earlier had already begun to heal. He felt a tingle spread through his limbs when he looked at it. 

“Ah, I had a small accident earlier, nothing to be worried about,” he tried to reassure the other man.

“I am not worried,” Mihawk quickly denied and let go of Cora’s hand.

“Get out of the kitchen, search the cellars for wine or something. I don’t think having you in the kitchen is a good idea,” the swordsman added after a short pause. He was already working on preparing the dinner again. 

Cora looked at Mihawks back with a slight frown. Being that useless didn’t feel particularly great to him. He shook his head quietly and headed out of the room. Just because he was useless in the kitchen, that didn’t have to mean that he was useless in general. He would just go and find some wine instead. He wasn’t useless, he told himself. He _wasn’t_.

  
  
  


“Thank you for the food. It was delicious,” Cora thanked Mihawk that evening. 

They had settled down in the appointed living room. Cora on the big couch and Mihawk on a red armchair closer to the fireplace. 

“Thank you. It’s alright, you found us some wine and I actually do enjoy cooking after all,” Mihawk replied, taking a sip from said wine. Cora had managed to find a whole wine cellar, thus they were drinking from one of these wine bottles together. They had a wide and tall glass each that were filled to the brim. The duo stayed quiet for a beat before Cora raised his voice again.

“Say,” he started. “ Why did you come to this island, Mihawk?”

Mihawk looked at him surprised, “ Why do you ask?”

“It’s just- Didn’t you know that nobody lived here prior to setting course?” Cora inquired, the confusion evident in his voice.

“Indeed. That is why I chose to come here,” the swordsman explained. Taking notice of the still confused expression on the other mans face, he elaborated, “I wanted to go on a vacation.”

“Huh?” Cora mumbled. “A vacation? Here?” 

He looked at Mihawk intensely, “You are a bit weird, aren’t you.” As soon as the words had left his mouth, Cora grew red in his face with mortification. God, what a rude thing to say to the man who had saved his life, allowed him to stay in his home and even made him dinner. It was just one embarrassing stumble to the other with him today.

Mihawk however, had to fight a smile at the blunt comment, “Aren’t you too? Isn’t everyone to some degree?” 

Cora was still watching him with his dark and now very confused eyes, “What do you mean?”

“I am just aware of my own taste and not afraid to showcase my preference in things,” Mihawk told him.

“I guess,” Cora relented.

“You must have been too, at some point,” the dark-haired man went on, “No one just wears a coat like you do, when they’re already drawing in a lot of attention with their height.”

Cora looked down at himself. He was still wearing the feather coat with a loose white linen shirt underneath. He also wasn't that tall, everything around him was just a tad bit small. He looked pretty normal to himself and could swear that he had once known people with stranger get-ups. 

“You think so?” he asked Mihawk for confirmation.

Mihawk hummed and took another sip of wine, “I do.”

So Cora just nodded and believed him. 

  
  
  


During the next few days, they had settled into a routine that was almost domestic. Cora would always wake up early in the morning and brew some tea over the fireplace. Mihawk would get up when the tea was ready to drink and then they would sit out on the veranda for some time, talking about their plans for the day. What they did then would vary but in the evening it was always Mihawk that made them dinner, as he had banned Cora completely from the kitchen.

Cora had gotten up that morning with an idea in mind. They needed a garden. They had already gotten the Humandrills to do some fieldwork outside but it would be nice to have a small accessible garden for herbs and such nearby. The thoughts, about how they could manage that ran through his mind as he entered their shared bathroom. As if controlled by someone else he walked towards one of the wide mirrors and took a makeup pencil out of a cabinet underneath it. The pen reached the area underneath his right eye and as he began to draw, he seemed to snap out of his autopilot. 

He stared at himself in the mirror, at his hand that had stopped moving, before he gave in to the familiar motion he ached to draw out. After a minute had passed he took another good look at himself. His eye was now decorated by a black, star-like shape and while it felt fitting, it didn’t feel _quite right_ just yet. 

He crouched down again to search through one of the drawers. He had noticed Mihawk standing in the doorway, watching him from a distance but spared him no mind. He had finally managed to grab onto a memory from the past, he couldn’t get distracted and lose it again. 

His rummaging ended when a tube of lipstick entered his hand. He glanced at it, the color was off but it would do. He applied the black all over his lips before drifting off and drawing a line further up his cheeks in each direction. He looked like a clown, a bit weird in combination with his deadpan expression but somehow, somehow it felt _just right_. 

Mihawk was watching the blonde from the door. _Cora must have remembered something_ , he mused. He didn’t want to interrupt what must have been an emotional moment for the other man so he just stood there, observing. If he saw Cora breaking down in tears after, he didn’t say anything about it. Because once Cora had collected himself and turned around, the doorway was empty as if Mihawk had never been there in the first place.

Strangely enough, Cora felt a bit disappointed at that.

  
  
  


It hadn’t taken Mihawk long to notice that Cora was a strange and very troubled man. He would stare off into empty spaces, stumble around and run into everything in his way but that wasn’t everything that was a bit unusual with the man. He walked in a way that made him look like he was trying to make himself smaller than he was, head between his broad shoulders. Mihawk had walked like that once in his youth before he had come into his own before he had known who he was and maybe that was why he had noticed it so quickly. 

Then there were the scars upon scars all over the tall man’s body. Mihawk was well aware that height didn’t automatically make one stronger but he had the feeling that Cora was stronger than he probably knew himself. So he had to wonder, how come someone like that bore this many scars? His attitude seemed calm and peaceful enough. And then there was the nagging thought that he had seen Cora somewhere before. He had recognized that face. But from where? 

He weaved a hand through his black hair, washing out the shampoo stuck in it. The warm water sprayed onto him and into the big tub underneath him. Whenever he was inside the bathroom he had to think about what had happened, when Cora had tried to take a bath on their second day here. 

_“I don’t know what happened,”_ he had told Mihawk. _“I just lost all of my energy, all of a sudden and fell.”_ And Mihawk had needed to break open the locked door and save the almost drowned giant in an embarrassing fashion.

They had both figured out that day, that the mysterious Cora was apparently a Devil Fruit user, even if they didn’t know what his actual powers were quite yet. But it was _something_ in their search for the blonde’s identity. 

All in all, there was never a boring day with Cora around. It seemed like the man was quite a trouble magnet. Not only that but it also felt like he was a big puzzle, that was exclusively for Mihawk to solve. He liked to have the other man around. Now he could never claim to be bored.

And time went on and on.


	2. Chapter 2

I

“You are out here often” Mihawk stated as he stepped through the opened glass doors and onto the balcony. Cora was in front of him, crouched down to water some plants with a rusty metal can. He turned around and smiled up at his friend.

“I guess it’s just very relaxing to me.” He explained. 

It was true. His clumsy nature could cause little problems when all he was working with was water and earth. Cora hummed and got up after he put the empty watering can in its usual spot.

“And just between you and me, I think I used to take care of something or I guess, someone  _ before _ .”

That got Mihawk’s attention. He knew how much Cora tried to avoid thinking and talking about the time before he lost everything. They had had that talk many times. Cora kept claiming that speculation would do nothing but cause trouble; however, they both knew that that was not the reason the blonde is so hesitant to dig a little deeper. He was so worried about having been a bad person before all of this. As if Mihawk would care...and as if Cora should care. 

Mihawk didn’t think that someone like Cora, a person that cared too much about all sorts of things, could have been a bad person in his books. He had a feeling that Cora was not innocent or forgiving, but he also felt like most of Cora’s behavior was caused by a deep passion that seemed to color all of the tall man’s actions.

“Oh? What makes you think that?” He decided to ask, instead of voicing any of his thoughts. He wanted to know more about this. About what was going on inside of the mysterious man’s head.

Cora took a few steps forward and leaned against the railing of the balcony. He grasped at his side, as if he expected to have a pocket there, but grabbed the air in an awkward motion instead. It’s a pattern of movement that he had done frequently whenever he seemed worried or stressed and Mihawk is quite sure that Cora used to smoke. The swordsman didn’t say anything as he leaned against the outer wall of the castle, watching Cora carefully.

“I- Hmm, it’s kind of hard to explain." Mihawk could see how much Cora struggled.

“I do not mind. I am willing to listen. Even when the explanation is long," the swordsman smirked. “Your explanations usually are.”

Cora’s ears turned red in embarrassment. 

“You are so mean," he huffed before he got started talking again.

Cora’s grip on the railing tightened. “I guess it’s because of that one thing I do remember; That voice calling out to me. I think it was a child. It sounded too old to be my kid but it feels important somehow." 

“That memory makes me happy like nothing else. My stomach gets warm and I just feel so  _ proud _ .”, he went on.

Mihawk followed what Cora had to say in silence. He had known that something had been bothering the other man, but not like this.

“I do a chore, or take care of something and I catch myself thinking, ‘Did  _ he _ see that? Is  _ he _ happy? Did I make  _ him _ laugh?’ And I don’t even know who  _ he _ is!” The tall man’s eyes looked at the horizon, it seemed as if he was so far away, unreachable like his memories.

“Mihawk, do you think that kid,  _ he _ , is waiting for me?”

The swordsman's brows furrowed. 

“Who is to say? That child very well could be, or they could have forgotten after all these years. Mayhaps that memory is older than you think and that child is barely younger than you. Does it matter? You wouldn’t know where to start searching anyways. Keep your thoughts realistic."

The words might have sounded harsh but Cora knew Mihawk talked that way because he cared. And he was right wasn’t he? So, what if? It’s not like Cora could do anything the way he was now. Cora needed to fix himself. How could he expect to help anyone when the one who needed help the most was him?

“You are so patient with me. I don’t feel like I deserve it but I am incredibly thankful for it,” he turned to look at his dark-haired companion with a soft look in his eyes. 

“It’s your own strength and stubbornness that have brought you this far. Don’t discredit yourself. It does not suit you.” Mihawk almost felt uncomfortable under the meaningful gaze but managed to hold it with pride.

“And there you go again saying these things," Cora smiled brightly at him, his head leaned against the palm of his hand.

The smile was so bright that it burned. And if Mihawk hadn’t had such a tight grip on his emotions, he would have gone red in his face. Instead, he smiled back before he turning around, the wind making the fabric of his loose shirt flatter. 

“I am returning inside. I think I saw a nice bottle of wine in one of the cellars yesterday," his eyes pinned Cora. “Care to join me?”

The blonde giant’s arm slipped from his position and he lost his balance for a second. He stumbled straight onto his face and looked up at Mihawk with a bloody nose, the grin still on his face..

“Yeah! I’ll be there.”

I

“Shanks does what he wants. He’s as annoying as he is unpredictable," Mihawk complained, referencing an old friend.

“He sounds like a good man to me," Cora said, taking a sip from his wine.

“Ah, you haven’t met him. You will understand what I mean when you do, Cora.”

The two men had settled down on one of the red couches in what must have been a living room once. The fireplace lit the room with a warm light that flickered and crackled as if it was laughing with their conversations.

“He sounds like a good friend too.” 

“He is." That was one thing Mihawk would never deny. The swordsman didn’t consider many people to be his friend but the annoying redhead was one of those few. 

“Say, Mihawk?” Cora sounded hesitant.

“Hm?” 

“We are friends,  _ right _ ?” 

What a redundant question--Mihawk wondered what went on inside that head of his. He was just like Shanks in that way. Maybe it was his weakness, always getting attached to idiots like that.

“Why would you even need to ask this. If you want me to reconsider, you are well on your way.”

“I think I--” Cora stopped mid-sentence as if he was trying to reconsider, what he had been about to say.

“I think I want to figure out what happened to me.”

Silence stretched between the two. Cora looked lost in thought, with his head somewhere else, as always. The quiet was not uncomfortable but the question left unsaid rang in Mihawk’s ear, making him unable to enjoy it.  _ Will you help me? I cannot stay here with you, will you still help me? _

It insinuated so many things neither were willing to admit; neither were willing to say.

“You were always so insecure about this. Why the sudden change?” 

“I like it here. I think it’s great that we get along so well. Of all the people that could have found me, it was you. And that makes me incredibly happy, you know?” Cora took another big gulp out of his glass.

His glass was empty. The bottle was still half full, standing upon the table in front of them. Mihawk spared it a glance, then looked over at Cora before he grabbed it, and offered it to him. The blonde took it and ignored the empty glass, taking a gulp straight from the bottle. He didn’t tell Mihawk how familiar it felt.

Mihawk himself didn’t really know what to do. The thought of letting Cora leave made him anxious in a way he didn’t have any right to be. Cora was not his property, he couldn’t hold him down or tell him what to do and they both knew that.

“I feel like this is weighing me down. I want to stay here because I want to, not because I have nowhere else to go.” Cora's eyes met Mihawk's , emotions swirling around in them like a storm was brewing. “Mihawk, I want to be  _ free _ .”

Oh, how could Mihawk have let it come this far? He’s in too deep, they both are. He knew this, Cora knew it. And yet neither of them had stopped to question it. 

“Cora, do you remember when I told you that you seemed familiar?” He asked the man.

Cora furrowed his nonexistent brows before nodding.

“Yes. You said you felt you had seen a marine that looked like me before.”

“There will be a Shichibukai meeting soon. Let me try to follow up on that lead.” 

Cora’s face looked young at that moment. It should--they both were young, even when it had never felt like it. He looked like a burden had been taken off his chest and Mihawk grew incredibly thankful for his ability to be the cause of that. 

They sat next to each other, the space between them wouldn’t have been big enough for another person, and the swordsman started to feel the buzz of the alcoholic beverage they had been consuming more than ever. It felt like only now it registered to him, what Cora had said to him. 

_ I want to stay here because I want to. _

_ I want to stay with you because I want to. _

Cora looked at Mihawk, staring at the other man for a moment before Mihawk stared back. Brown eyes met golden ones. It felt ridiculous, it  _ was _ ridiculous; how they acted like giddy teens. So Mihawk laughed at the stupidity of it all, Cora joined in not long after. The taller man, still alight with laughter, grabbed Mihawk’s hand, tugging the swordsman toward himself. Mihawk let it happen and adjusted his stance once he was on the blonde’s lap. Both knees on either side of the long and strong thighs, he leaned forward and grabbed the other man by his messy blonde locks. The motion was a strong and sure one and Cora felt so at home between those scarred hands. 

“You good?” Mihawk asked with a smirk on his face, making the other laugh out loud again.

“I could be better," he responded. “Are you gonna help me with that too?”

“Is there anything you can do on your own?” 

And then Mihawk leaned forward, pressing his lips against the painted ones of his guest. They were _ so stupid _ . Ridiculous. Not perfect, in any way or form but just right in the moment, and wasn’t that just enough sometimes?

They parted not long after and Mihawk could swear that he could taste the taste of cigarettes faintly. So he  _ had  _ been a smoker. Both of them didn’t say a thing as Mihawk laid his head between the crook of Cora’s neck and his shoulder. The scars on the blonde’s body were so rough that he could feel them through his beard on his face. Cora’s hands had found his and held them in a gentle grasp.

“I will have to leave for the meeting tomorrow,” the swordsman stated calmly.

“That’s okay. I will be waiting for your return," Cora replied.

“Hopefully, I will return with what we seek.” 

“I’m sure you will. As if you would do anything without results. You’re way too lazy for that.”

“Careful. I might just decide to stay here instead.”

“You don’t mean that," Cora assured.

“ _ You _ don’t know that," was all Mihawk said in return.


	3. Chapter 3

II

The journey to the marine headquarters had been as uneventful as always. A few pirates and swordsmen, cocky enough to try, had challenged him and quickly found their new home at the bottom of the sea. Afterward, Mihawk had boarded a navy vessel and relaxed.

He stayed calm as he strode through the long corridors and barely made a sound as he entered the room he had been requested to. The faces that greeted him were the same as usual. Moria and Kuma were busy whispering to each other as always but stopped when they saw him.

“Have you heard yet, Hawkeyes?” Moria immediately addressed him. “We have someone new joining us today!” 

“Do we now?” Mihawk settled down in his chair casually. The room was the same as usual. A table designed for more people than they had ever been, surrounded by more chairs that any of them would ever need. 

“Indeed." Kuma supported Moria’s claim, his voice and tone were calm as always. Kuma and he had always gotten along. They both knew how to mind their own business. Moria had always been too loud, and too much of an eccentric personality for the swordsman. 

But his interest had been piqued, this might end up being more interesting than he had initially thought. While the trio waited, Mihawk stayed quiet. The other two continued their talk in hushed whispers and that was that.

“Excuse us, we apologize you had to wait for us.” 

The relaxed atmosphere was interrupted by Sengoku who had a tall man in tow. 

“Aw, they had to wait for me? How sweet of them, I hope it hasn’t been too long," the unknown man said as he entered the room. 

Mihawk looked at him. He was abnormally tall, had blonde hair, and wore a pink feathered coat. He didn’t like this already. The gaze of the man was hidden by the sunglasses he was wearing but Mihawk could feel it mustering him. He didn’t like it at all, so he pulled his attention towards Sengoku instead. The man seemed as put together as always and Mihawk couldn’t have cared less.

“Hmpf, you better make this fast Sengoku, I don’t have time to waste," Moria demanded.

“Fufufufu, now don’t I even get a greeting? How rude!” The newcomer answered instead of the fleet admiral.

“Quiet, all of you," Sengoku demanded. Both were willing to go along it seemed, as they both stayed quiet while everyone settled down again.

“This is Donquixote Doflamingo, he will join you as a Shichibukai from now on.”

II

“Wow, that sure was boring, huh Hawkeyes?” Doflamingo addressed the swordsman as he had attempted to leave the corridor in front of the meeting room. He had wanted to catch up to Sengoku to ask him about a certain blonde marine but with the arrival of the pink menace, his plans had been laid to waste.

“Why are you talking to me," Mihawk shot back. He had no patience for this man. He rubbed him in a wrong way and he had no plans of hiding that fact.

“Fufu, so cold. Let’s get straight to business then." The pause the giant added had to have been added for dramatic purposes. Mihawk wanted no part of any business with the man. 

“I have heard that you picked up a little birdie a while back." The words made Mihawk stiffen. How did he know? And more importantly, why would he.

Mihawk had noticed the similarities between Doflamingo and Cora immediately, he would have to be blind not to. But just what was the connection between Doflamingo and Cora? They looked similar enough...family then? 

The way he had found Cora had been bad. Beaten and bruised with hastily taken care of bullet wounds all over. Back then he hadn’t thought much of it but the more time he had spent with the soft giant, the more questions he had in his head.

This had to be the biggest and most pressing one of them all just yet. What did a pirate have to do with a man he suspected to be a part of the navy? 

After being silent for a few moments, Mihawk chose to respond with, "What of it?"

“Well, you see, big birdie is searching for his little birdie is all." Doflamingos grin looked as if it would shatter his own skull. It was a real one however and Mihawk was unsure how to feel about that.

The pink menace continued on, “I don’t know what he has told you, but this is family business, you’ll do your best by staying out of it, yeah?” 

“Are you threatening me, Donquixote? An unwise move, I must say." 

Mihawk hated not knowing what was going on but tried to stay as calm as possible. The pirate knew what he was doing, being able to so accurately press Mihawks buttons after only having known him for mere minutes.

“Oh, nono you misunderstand. It’s just some friendly advice. We  _ are _ working together now, after all, eh?” the other Shichibukai snickered. 

Mihawk wouldn’t get anything out of this man. This was a lot already. Cora would want to know about this and he wanted to spend as little time as possible with his unlikeable relative. The swordsman kept walking without looking back. Donquixote Doflamingo and Dracule Mihawk the shichibukai had nothing to talk about. Cora and Mihawk however had.

For the first time in a while, a thought crossed Mihawk’s mind that left him surprised.

He wanted to go  _ home _ .

II

It was unbelievable how so much had changed for Mihawk in such a short time. His in-the-moment decision to pick up the, then drowning Cora had felt so insignificant at the time. But now it felt weird to imagine the castle without his partner in it. Because that is what they were, wasn't it?  _ Partners _ . A simple word that could mean so many things. It had been a while since he had used it in such a way but when he described his relationship with Cora with it, it just felt fitting. The castle would feel so empty without the other man.

The swordsman might have found Kuraigana on his own but only once he had taken in Cora, had he really started living there. It was them that had cleaned the halls of rubble and dirt, blown-in through broken windows. It had been them that had searched for the room that had remained untouched and usable. Them that had planted that little garden on one of the huge balconies.

It had been so different from the life Mihawk usually led. He hadn’t been on his own. Hadn’t been out on the sea. He had still been challenged, not as a swordsman but with Cora’s intellect and quick wit. The way they had played off on each other had felt like they had been a well-oiled machine. In the end, they were both just two young men, connected by circumstance, wanting to prove themselves to each other in their own way.

In the end, it was Cora’s amnesia that had brought them together and kept them apart all at the same time. Mihawk would have liked to call Cora his partner but he also knew that no matter how much he wanted, this time he couldn’t just get that without putting some work into it. He didn’t even need to think about it, to know that the work would be worth it in the end.

Mihawk had docked his small ship and was well on his way to his home while he tried to arrange his thoughts. He needed to talk about all of this with Cora, preferably over a glass of wine, like they always did. Cora would water the small makeshift garden they had created before retreating back inside where Mihawk would be already waiting for him. They would exchange quips and flirts as always and talk about this and that. More of this than that this evening. But they would make it work, make it a pleasant evening like they always did.

The thought that Doflamingo had caught wind of what had happened here filled him with a sense of unease. Mihawk held pride in his skill as a fighter, in his skill in Haki. But he hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. He could make out the Humandrills in the forests surrounding him. They were tailing him as they had always done. As he focused more he made out the energy of an unknown origin. 

He had almost picked up the sword from his back when he noticed something else that was strange; he could not feel Cora in the castle. Not in the forest. Nowhere on the island.

When Mihawk had found his way inside the castle of Kuraigana, all he was greeted by was a letter. No warm smiles, no soft welcomes. Home was empty. A word without its meaning.

  
  
  
  


_ Dear Mihawk, _

_ Words cannot describe how thankful I am for everything you have done for me. I will never be able to repay your kindness (I know that’s not what it was but let me pretend for a while longer, please). I feel like all I have ever done here is take everything for granted. You took me in, gave me a chance to heal, you gave me a place I was happy to call my home and I am so thankful for all of that. But no matter how undisturbed that island seemed at that time, the earth keeps on moving and so must we with it. _

_ I remembered. And that’s also why I cannot stay. Out there, that boy is probably still struggling. Law is his name. My little buddy Law. He has been through so much already, I cannot make him go through even more. He needs me. Law is the one good thing I have been able to protect until now and if I don’t hurry, my brother will hurt him, try to take that boy’s freedom away. I cannot let that happen. So let me be selfish once more and ask for your forgiveness. I cannot stay.  _

_ When you read this, I will be long gone already. Maybe I will meet Shanks and his crew one of these days. I would like to. And maybe we will meet again out on the sea as well.  _

_ Thank you for everything. _

_ Cora _

  
  
  


The day Donquixote Rosinante returned to the world of the living, had started like any other for Cora. He had woken up, enjoyed the warmth of the rays the sun had gifted him in the early morning for a bit, and had gotten up after a while. He had made sure that the bed he left behind had been made and had changed into a different set of clothes. The markings on his face had been removed and reapplied with the one makeup pencil Mihawk owned. Then he had stumbled down into the one usable kitchen he and Mihawk liked to frequent, made himself a cup of tea that smelled of roses and herbs before settling down on the couch, newspaper in hand. 

He wondered how Mihawk was doing. If the Shichibukai meeting had already happened, when he would be back. Cora didn’t have much else and that made it so much easier to cling onto the other man. Cora found himself distracted by the swordsman often and he would frequently catch his thoughts stray. 

Mihawk was a strong man in many ways. His character was a peculiar one, with his admittedly unusual taste in clothing and his coffin-shaped ship. He seemed so serious all the time, his face  _ was _ a mean one no matter how pretty it seemed to Cora. The beard was strange, his eyes were strange but once Mihawk had allowed you to dig a little deeper, one would be able to see the parts of Mihawk that made him so terribly normal, so terribly human.

The swordsman was such a stubborn man, always ready to get what he wanted, unable to take no as an answer sometimes. He was always striving for improvement, his own and Coras as well. And as collected and headstrong as he may have wanted to seem, Mihawk was also an incredibly curious person.

Cora had relied so much on him. It had felt like deja vu almost, like he had been there before, so focused on a single person. So dependent on someone else. Whenever he thought about that feeling, it felt like a shadow was looming over him, giving him a rough silhouette of an idea, of what had happened, but not enough information to make any sense of it. In those moments all Cora could feel was an overwhelming and deep feeling of  _ desperation _ .

He couldn’t stand it, feeling that way. There he was, acting like he could stand next to Mihawk, when he barely had the right to stand anywhere on his own in the first place. Maybe Cora wouldn’t have felt so inadequate standing next to someone else, someone who was not Mihawk, someone who was not as determined and successful. Those thoughts, he couldn’t stand them.

In an attempt to escape his thoughts, Cora opened the newspaper and unknowingly closed the chapter of Cora and Mihawk with one swift move. 

_ Donquixote Doflamingo, King of Dressrosa joins the Shichibukai. _


	4. Chapter 4

III

The ship Rosinante had used to depart Kuraigana was pathetic. It could barely stay afloat and Rosi couldn’t help but remember the times he had spent on a similar little ship with the equally little Law.

He hoped Law was doing well, hoped that he had been able to stay away from Doffy. Had he been able to cure himself yet? Had he found a new home? Was Law happy? 

He remembered the smiles Law had given him back then and the bittersweetness they left behind in his heart. He had lied to Law about being a marine back them. He couldn’t return to them now. Law was his priority, the thing he cared about more. 

He had told Law that he loved him. And he did. The little Law that was so, so strong and had been through so much. All that and Law had never lost his will to keep going. Law was so strong and he probably didn’t even know it. 

_ “It’s your own strength and stubbornness that have brought you this far. Don’t discredit yourself. It does not suit you."  _ Mihawk had said to him. He wanted to say these words to the little Law too. Cora had needed to hear those words back then and he was sure Law could use them now too.

Back then Rosinante had felt like helping Law would prove that he wasn’t like his brother, that he was inherently good, was the man his two fathers would be proud of. But it was more than that by now. He could still feel one particular scar throb in his chest whenever he thought about the little guy. 

It wasn’t only about Laws pain, it had never been only that. It had also been about  _ Doffys _ , about his  _ own _ . 

Doflamingo and Law had been so similar back then but his bitterness and sadness had called out to Rosinante all the same. Back then when they had lost mother and father, he too had been bitter, had been upset. He could finally remember again--all the years he spent hating Doffy in his youth, all the years he held Doffy responsible for most of what had happened. He had grown up enough to realize that back then, Doffy had been a victim just like him but also how both of them had never been innocent in the first place. He doubted that someone from Mariejois had it in them to be innocent in any capacity. 

But Law was different from them. He was not part of a group that did nothing but evil upon the world. He was just some kid. He reminded Rosinante of what Doffy and he could have been, had the world been only a tad nicer if they had stayed together. He didn’t want Law to end up like them, tied down by their past, unable to let go.

He wanted Law to be free of that, free of the burden Doffy had left him with, free of the burden Rosinante had probably left him with.

And maybe he would be able to free himself a little with that too. He didn’t deserve forgiveness but maybe he could repent. He needed to find Law. He wanted to see that face again, smiling, laughing, happy,  _ free _ .

III

The first island he docked at made him fully realize the situation he was in. In his determined haze to get back to Law, he had almost completely forgotten about it. 

He was on the Grandline.

The  _ Grandline _ .

He wasn’t on some marine ship with Garp or some other vice-admiral looking out for him. He was one man sailing through the Grandline  _ on his own _ . 

It was a scary thought, Rosinante wouldn’t deny that. Not only was he alone on a sea he had never been alone on before but Doffys men were probably out there, searching for him too. He needed to get a weapon as soon as possible and a better ship too. Maybe he would be able to sail with a merchants ship for a bit, that was probably safer than trying to sail on his own. 

Rosinantes’ hand twitched. He needed a cigarette. Mihawk would have dealt so much better with all of this. That made Rosinante try to get his act together. He could do this. First: getting himself a pack of cigarettes. 

He looked around, searching for a small shop. Stealing wasn’t a thing he enjoyed doing but now that he remembered his devil fruit abilities it was one of the easiest ways to get what he wanted. Time to get started.

III

By the time Rosinante had arrived at Sabaody, it felt like he had seen the world. The second half of the Grandline was now behind him. Never had he imagined to get to see it off a navy ship. It was unfortunate that he had to sail all the Grandline to return to Law, but he couldn’t risk getting into trouble in the New World. He wasn’t unbeatable like Mihawk. With all his scars hindering from fighting he would never be. His navigation skills were alright to work within Paradise but maneuvering the New World had proven itself to be impossible. And now that he couldn’t rely on the navy anymore, the possibility to cross through the calm belt was off the table too.

Sabaody was an island unlike any other he had seen. The bubbles made out a strange substance, he didn’t know what it was, were floating everywhere. People had the most unusual uses for all of them, some carrying their groceries, others driving bikes floating on them. The scenery surrounding him was loud, people were walking and talking everywhere and Rosinante liked that even a weird man like him could walk down the streets without much trouble. 

He must have looked weird to them. His black makeup was smudged and faded, his hair had become longer from his lack of care and his huge black feather coat had found its way to his shoulders again, hiding a rifle he was carrying on his back. There he was, looking like that, smoking a cigarette and walking down the streets. He felt like a rebellious teenager all over again. Only this time he didn’t only pick up the habit of smoking but left behind his life as a marine, as a pirate and was running around like some sort of renegade instead. He wondered if Law felt the same. Law was a teenager now after all. It would take another half year until Rosinante would even reach the redline to get to the little guy, but just the thought of them meeting again got a smile on his weathered face. 

Putting all of his happy thoughts to the side, Rosinante reminded himself to be careful. He needed to be discreet with everything he was doing on this island. He knew that Doffy had started a business here, how influential he probably had already become here at this point. He probably should have gotten rid of his coat, it made him recognizable and stand out but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He had changed so much in such a short time, how was Law supposed to recognize him without it. 

He had walked through one of the cities, gotten himself some food, and had found his way towards one of the docks where he promptly sat down on a small green hill to eat. He unwrapped the meal and started to bite down on one of the two sandwiches. 

A loud voice addressed him from behind, “You seem like an interesting character! What are you doing all by yourself out here, mystery man?” 

Rosinante put down his food, still chewing on the bite in his mouth, as he turned around. 

“Huh?” he managed to get out before promptly choking on a piece of bread. He wheezed and coughed and with two strong pats on the back from the stranger, he managed to recover. 

“ Hhgh, t- thank you," Rosinante whimpered.

“Dahahahaha! No problem, buddy," the other man replied. “You’re a jumpy guy, huh?”

“Not really, just uh, clumsy,” Rosinante tried to save face.

He promptly paled when he took a good look at the man in front of him. He had red hair, three very memorable scars across one of his eyes, and was, strangely enough, missing one arm. He had no food in his mouth left to choke on but his spit did the job just as well.

“UGH!” Rosinante struggled to get out before bending forward and punching the ground with his fist in an attempt to free his throat. Shanks was patting his back again, this time with a loud laugh.

“You’re a pretty funny guy! Why don't you join my crew?”

Rosinante wished he had choked.

III

“Huh? You know good ol’ Hawkeyes? How is the grump doing these days? I haven’t seen him in a while,” Shanks asked, rubbing the stubble on his chin. 

“Last I saw him he was leaving for a meeting with the other Shichibukai. So he’s fine, probably a bit annoyed but fine,” Rosinante recalled.

The red-haired pirate had managed to shove the giant onto his ship, even after the latter had refused to join his crew.  _ “That’s alright” _ , Shanks had said.  _ “Join us for a party instead!”  _ And Rosinante had. He was curious about the infamous pirate, Mihawk’s friend, after all.

“Huh, I never knew Mihawk had it in him to make other friends, hard to imagine, huh Benni?” Shanks wondered.

The dark-haired first mate shook his head and took a sip from his grog of beer. 

“Shanks, Mihawk is a grown man. The world doesn't revolve around you. Of course, he has other friends,” he chastised his boss. The dynamic between the two left Rosinante a bit baffled.

“Heh, you’re right.” 

Shanks eyed Rosinante as he tried to lit up a cigarette. As usual, his coat caught fire and Rosinante promptly threw it on the ground, stomping it out. The crewmembers that were present promptly burst out in laughter and Shanks joined right in.

“Bwahahaha! You really weren’t lying when you said you were clumsy! That’s so funny! Are you sure you don’t want to join us?” the strange captain asked again.

“Quite,” Rosinante denied for a second time. He had sat down on his coat, trying to hide his embarrassed face behind his hand. The tall man could finally understand what Mihawk had meant when he said one had to meet Shanks to know what sort of man he was. He was so relaxed but still managed to hold an aura of importance somehow. His crew seemed more like his friends than anything else and the amount on nerves someone must have had to just invite a stranger to their party, to their crew, Rosinante couldn’t even imagine.

“So, are you friends or are you, you know… _ friends _ ?” Shanks asked with a smirk. Beckmann seemed to hold in his own laughter by drinking again as Rosinantes jaw dropped.

“Huh!?”, the ex-marine soldier exclaimed.

“What, it’s a legitimate question, isn’t it? I’m curious, you do seem like his type,” Shanks added defensively.

Rosinante seemed like  _ his type _ . He knew he was, who was he kidding. Of course, he remembered all those evenings they had spent together, talking, drinking. The kiss they had shared the day Mihawk had left. The thought didn’t make him happy as it should have. It wasn’t accompanied by the warm feeling in his stomach. All he felt was guilt for leaving and he was sure it showed on his face because Shanks’s face promptly lost his smile and got serious.

“Uh, I didn’t mean to intrude,” he sort of apologized when Beckmann had sent him a  _ look _ as if the first mate hadn’t tried to stifle his laughter only seconds ago too.

“It’s kind of complicated. Not your fault at all, don’t worry,” Rosinante tried to reassure.

“Well alright, then I won't dig,” Shanks nodded. Then he downed his drink in one go.

“Come on, you look like you could use the drink too!” he tried to get Rosinante to join in. 

The blonde looked down at his own beer for a second before following Shanks’s example. Ben had sat down next to Shanks and was shaking his head with a grin before doing the same.

“Now that’s the spirit! Come on men, you call this a party? Let’s get wild!” the exclamation was met with cheers from the crew.

Shanks was wild and untamed in a way that made Rosinante feel free. He didn’t stop the laughter that left his throat for the first time in what felt like forever. Maybe he would get there one day too. He wished for it at least. For now, he would just be content to take a peek through the window Shanks had provided. Maybe this was all the motivation he needed to continue his search.

III

“Gave that arm up for a kid. I don’t regret it. If we don’t pave a way for the next generation, then what are we doing?.”, Shanks explained, “ Those kids can’t be stopped, they shouldn't be. They’re the future and things need to change.”

Rosinante couldn’t help but agree. He felt the same way about Law.

“I used to be a marine. I wanted the world to be good, to be better. Now I know the world government isn’t going to help me with that. It has let me and countless other people down,” he opened up. 

The duo had separated from the others as the party became quieter. Most of the pirates had fallen asleep, Ben had retired to his quarters and Shanks and Rosinante sat next to each other on the spot they had met in. The alcohol had made both of them nostalgic. They had talked about this and that and the more they talked the more they realized the things they had in common, the things they didn’t.

“Sorry ‘bout that, it’s never nice when your worldview gets shattered like that but hey! At least you finally figured out that the gov sucks. Many people don’t even get there, Bwahahah!” Shanks slung his arm around Rosinante’s shoulder with the same force all of his movements held.

“Hehehe, I guess you’re right,” the blonde agreed. He was feeling rebellious and young and Shanks was right. 

“Man, I wonder how little anchor is doing. Liddle widdle Monkey D. Luffy,” Shanks yammered into the taller man’s neck. 

“The kid?”

“Yeah!”

“Huh, a D.,” Rosi realized and stared off into the starry night sky.

“The kid I am looking for is a D too. What are the chances of that?” he asked before he descended into giggles just like Shanks. 

The redhead laughed out loud and complained, “Man, those D’s are always out there causing trouble.”

“Is that a common thing for them?” 

“Oh, you don’t know half of it, my man. Do you wanna know what the D stands for?” the captain asked him with a secretive smirk. He was still leaning onto the other man. Shanks seemed like a very touchy person. Rosinante couldn’t imagine how Mihawk and he would interact.

The meaning of the D. It made Rosinante think. That it even had meaning was proving what he had always thought--that the people with that name were important, that they fulfilled a greater role. He  _ was _ curious. He thought of Law and how he had proudly proclaimed his full name, unaware of the adult listening in at that time. Unaware of what it meant. But Rosinante wasn’t a D. He was related to the people that despised the D the most. It didn’t feel like the knowledge was something Rosinante should have. 

“No, I don’t really care,” he lied and he knew that Shanks could see right through him. The other man didn’t question him however and laughed again instead.

“Man, you sure you don’t wanna join my crew? I think you’re pretty great, you’d fit right in mister ex-marine!” Shanks almost begged. The blonde had enough mercy to not comment on it.

Rosinante wondered if he had gained all of his crew members like this. He thinks about the first mate Ben Beckmann and can see the tactic working. The image makes him snort into his hand.

“Hey! What’s so funny! A simple ‘No’ would have worked just fine!” Shanks cried out theatrically.

“No, no it’s not that, though my answer is still no,” the blonde tried to explain himself.

“Ugh, I wanna smoke,” he slurred and searched his pockets for his cigarettes.

He put one stick between his lips and wiggled it around as he took out his lighter. Shanks watched him from his place on Rosinante’s shoulder, and Rosi became aware of how much smaller Shanks was. He must have been around the same height as Mihawk, he realized.

“Heh, let me help,” Shanks offered and took the lighter out of Rosinante’s hand. He looked up at the blonde’s face with his typical smirk and signed for the giant to lean his head down. The taller one breathed in as Shanks lead his hands towards the cigarette. The smaller man looked concentrated on his task as if all of his energy was going into lighting the small stick on fire. Rosinante only looked at Shanks and how the little flame seemed to light up his red hair even more. 

“There you go!” the man holding onto the lighter exclaimed with a bright smile, he looked so proud of himself, Rosinante had to smile. He felt Shanks’s arm at his side as it put his lighter back into one of the pockets of his pants and removed the cigarette from his mouth to breathe out the smoke.

Shanks watched him in silence before stealing his cigarette away and Rosinante, curious about what he was up to, let it happen. The captain put it into his own mouth and breathed in. He pulled the stick away and reached with the same hand for Rosinante’s scarred neck. He pulled him down until their lips were on each other’s and blew the smoke from his mouth into the tall man's one.

Rosinante tasted the cigarette, it was rough and he knew it tasted awful in that moment but he didn’t care. His mouth was dry and rough and the way Shanks pulled him down a second time once his mouth was free of smoke was more than welcome. 

The kiss was wet and open-mouthed and Rosinante could tell that Shanks was very good at this. He wasn’t surprised, Shanks struck him as the kind of person that knew how to have fun in every possible way. The kiss went on and on and the cigarette was burning away behind his head. 

At some point Shanks had pulled away, cursing as he examined his now empty hand that was slightly burned between two of his fingers.

“Ouch,” he moaned dramatically before laughing together with Rosinante at the ridiculousness of it all.


	5. Chapter 5

IV

“And you are sure you don’t know anything else about this whole ordeal?” Mihawk asked calmly. 

“N-No Sir. I have told you all I know! Please let me go!” the worm squirmed. 

Cora. That wasn’t even his name, as Mihawk had figured out. Donquixote Rosinante, Doflamingo’s former right-hand man,  _ Corazón _ . That was who he had taken in. That the pink menace and Corazón were so closely related felt strange in Mihawk’s head. He almost couldn’t believe it. 

Cora had been as much timid and careful as he had been brash, open, and emotional. Doflamingo was only smiles upon smiles, one more real than the other in a way that only added to the disturbingness of it, but in the end, the man had felt unreadable and distant in a way that made even Mihawk uncomfortable. He just liked people that were direct above all else.

_ “ Corazón had stolen a Devil Fruit from the young master! He kidnapped one of his agents and ran away! Of course we caught him after his betrayal but his second escape was troublesome so the young master sent someone to search for the traitor again.”,  _ the spy had explained frantically after getting caught by Mihawk.

The kidnapped agent must have been the child Cora had talked about in his letter. Law. The swordsman wondered what kind of person the kid was, to hold Rosinante’s loyalty to such a degree. 

“ Where did all of this happen?” he questioned the man again.

“ N- North Blue, Sir!”

Mihawk stood up from his red armchair and kicked the man kneeling in front of him in the side of his torso. 

“Get out of my sight,” he demanded. 

The lackey nodded harshly before running out of the abandoned castle. The Humandrills would take care of this particular problem, Mihawk knew.

But what to do next? Going after Rosinante could end up being a wild goose chase. Even if he found the other man again, chances were that the other wouldn’t return with him. Was he willing to take that risk? 

Mihawk looked around the empty castle, the empty island. The winds blowing around the corners felt cool on his skin. He let go of a deep sigh and took his hat from the table next to him. What did he have to lose anyway, maybe he could use the training the New World would provide him with. He just really wanted to see Rosinante one more time. He would make him the offer to return, if he would take it or not would be up to him. He just hoped that he would reach the blonde before Doflamingo did.

North Blue, it  _ had _ been a while since he had been to this particular sea.

IV

The swordsman hadn’t bothered to travel further than the next Marine base. Most islands in the New World were dangerous and outlandish to anyone that wasn’t used to such craziness but the island he had arrived at was almost disgustingly normal and peaceful.

He walked down one of the many crooked alleyways, that was framed by a collection of colorful houses until he reached the entrance of the local Marine base. As the two lookouts at the front door had taken notice of him, one of the two hurried inside.

“Shichibukai, Dracule Mihawk,” the remaining foot soldier addressed him without a single stutter. “What is your business here?”

“I need to talk to your Vice Admiral. This does not concern you,” was all Mihawk told the soldier.

The soldier just nodded and opened the door for him. It was almost cute how quick some Marines were to trust a pirate simply because of some hollow title. Mihawk couldn’t complain, though, and strode inside.

“Dracule, how may we assist you?” greeted him the Vice Admiral as he entered his office. The Vice-Admiral hadn’t even introduced himself and looked like he was about to fall asleep any second now. That worked just fine for Mihawk, he wasn’t here for that man after all.

“I need to call Sengoku,” he replied.

The other man nodded and lazily signed towards the Transponder Snail on the edge of his messy desk. They didn’t exchange another word and Mihawk wasted no time to start a call.

“Durgen, we talked about this, you’re not getting demoted because you want to sleep longer,” was the first sentence the swordsman was greeted by. He looked at the Vice Admiral that had fallen asleep in front of him and noted that it must have been directed at said man.

“This is Dracule Mihawk. Sengoku, I would like to make use of my title for once,” he returned easily.

He could hear quiet shuffling on the other end.

“Ah, apologies. It’s rare that you contact us on your own, what’s with the change of attitude?” Sengoku questioned suspiciously.

“I would like to travel to the North Blue, I’m sure there’s a ship scheduled there that I can board, yes?” he replied without actually answering Sengoku’s question.

“And another thing,” Mihawk began. “Does the name Donquixote Rosinante mean anything to you?”

It sounded like Sengoku had choked on something. It made Mihawk immediately think of his blonde friend. So, the Fleet Admiral did know something. The swordsman hadn’t really expected it, it was highly unlikely that someone in his position would just happen to know that one Marine he needed to know about. Luck was on his side it seemed.

“ Where have you heard that name?” Sengoku inquired. He sounded tense. 

“It’s a funny story really. About half a year ago I met a man that I saved from drowning, by chance. He couldn’t remember anything at the time but it turns out that he used to be a Marine,” the Shichibukai explained.

“He couldn’t remember anything? Where is Rosinante now?”

“He left. How do you know the man?” Mihawk wondered. “ You sound awfully invested in this.”

“Awfully invested! The man went MIA months ago!” the Fleet Admiral scoffed. “ Why are you asking in the first place, Dracule?”

“Curiosity. Are you aware Doflamingo is still after him?”

“You know a lot about this. Is that because of curiosity as well?” Sengoku sounded tired now.

“Are you ever going to answer one of my questions?”

“I don’t know, are you?”

The line went quiet for a bit. Then Sengoku spoke up again, louder than he had before: 

“Durgen!”

The Vice-Admiral woke up startled and sat up straight in his chair.

“Yes Sir?” the brunette asked drowsily.

“Leave. I would like to talk with Dracule  _ privately _ .” 

The Marine looked at Mihawk with a confused expression before eyeing the Transponder Snail warily.

“Alright,” he drawled out. “ Does that mean I am on break until this call is over?”

“You know the answer to that.” The Vice Admirals posture deflated.

“Yes Sir,” he replied crestfallen. He nodded at Mihawk once after getting up and left his own office.

Mihawk was alone in the room now. He wondered what the point of this was. Sengoku was involved in all of this on a personal level, that much he understood. But how?

“Dracule, I don’t trust you and you don’t trust me but I ask this of you: What we are going to talk about now won’t leave this room,” Sengoku demanded.

“Fine. I have no problem with that. Now out with it.”, Mihawk despised all of these dramatics. 

“We may not be related by blood but to me, Donquixote Rosinante is like a son,” the Fleet Admiral declared solemnly. 

That made Mihawk pause. The Fleet Admiral’s son. Of course. What else would he be? The swordsman leaned forward and massaged his forehead with his free hand. Why was he always drawn to these trouble magnets? It truly never got boring with them around. 

“And yet, you sent him to spy on his brother? That is what happened, isn’t it?”

“Rosinante was set on stopping his brother, it didn’t feel right to hold him back from that.” 

At least it sounded like Sengoku regretted it now. 

“I see,” Mihawk replied succinctly. 

“Why are you interested in this? What’s your angle in all of this?” the Marine inquired not even bothering to mask his confusion.

Mihawk was unsure how to answer. He didn’t want to talk about his personal life with one of the highest powers in the Marines but if he played his cards right, he might just be able to get more out of this than he had first anticipated. Sengoku obviously cared a lot about Rosinante’s well being, they shared that goal at least. But that was also why he had to tread carefully, chances were that Sengoku would be less than thrilled if he knew exactly was Mihawk was up to.

“I dislike Doflamingo, it is in my best interest to make sure Rosinante is doing well. We spent a lot of time talking, when he couldn’t remember, I guess you could say he has my sympathies. This is why I will tell you this: I found a spy where Rosinante was last seen. He told me that that they were following him so they could recapture him but that doesn’t make much sense now does it?” he summarized.

“Why send some worm after the man who used to be Doflamingo’s right hand?”

“You think there’s more to this?” Sengoku considered.

“I do. And I am curious to find out what, which is why I would like your help to get to the North Blue.”

“You’re not one to cause trouble usually, don’t start now,” Sengoku answered warily. Then he just sighed.

“I’ll see what I can do.”

  
  


IV

“Sir, the ship has arrived.” 

Mihawk and the Vice Admiral’s tea break was interrupted. Mihawk emptied his cup with one last sip and set it down on the table. Durgen wiped his hands on his white uniform, staining it with the cookie crumbs left on them. They both rose from their seats and the Marine waved him goodbye.

“It was a pleasure meeting you Mr. Dracule.”

“Same to you Mr. Durgen.” 

“I wish you a safe journey. It must be nice to get out of the New World every once in a while,” the Vice-Admiral added dreamily with a yawn.

“We will see,” was all Mihawk said.

Little had he known  _ who _ was out there waiting for him.

Mihawk stepped outside the building and towards the port. Ignoring the stares the civilians gave him he walked through the market in front of him until he could see the sea and hear seagulls screech louder than he had before. The ocean breeze made him breathe in deeply and he had barely time to enjoy the relaxing atmosphere before a fist shot out towards him. He sidestepped it easily and avoided the powerful punch that destroyed the ground in front of him. The market-goers behind them exclaimed in panic and made sure to stay away at a safe distance. 

The swordsman drew his sword when the realization hit who was in front of him. How fun. He could feel his heartbeat quicken at the prospect of a nice spar but his face stayed as stony as always. Quickly, he raised his blade in front of him to deflect the next punch directed at his chest and came face to face with the man assaulting him. The noise of the blackened fist hitting the equally black sword, droned through the whole haven.

The fist drew back and so did its owner. There they stood, a few meters apart. Dracule Mihawk, the World’s Best Swordsman, with his black cape blowing dramatically in the wind behind him, and Monkey D. Garp, grin on his face, dog mask on his head and white Vice Admiral coat flowing in the back. 

“Ha! You kids get cockier each year! What are the Marines? Some sort of taxi service?” Garp barked out. To Mihawk he didn’t truly sound upset. More amused than anything.

“I was under the impression that the ship was headed towards the North Blue regardless of my presence? Was I wrong?” Mihawk asked, his eyebrow raised. 

Garp laughed out loud. “And a smartass too! I won’t take a weakling with me, show me what you’ve got!”, and they were on each other again.

Only a man like Monkey D. Garp would have it in him, to call the man known for being the greatest swordsman alive, a  _ weakling _ . Mihawk did like a challenge however and indulged in the destruction and havoc they caused for the next minutes. Debris and small stones flew around his head. Garp was fast and determined in his movements just like Mihawk and each time their hits met, they seemed to hold equal ground. Mihawk lost interest quickly however as they both seemed to be over the excitement of meeting each other.

“Well, let’s go then,” Garp called out all of a sudden. One of his hands was in the pocket of his pants while one finger of the other was deeply buried in his nose. Mihawk’s mouth turned down in disgust but he returned Yoru to his back. 

“Fine.” 

As they boarded the ship Mihawk could make out whispers coming from the crew.  _ “ Why does the Vice-Admiral always do these stunts.” “Look at how ruined the port is now.” “I mean, it looked pretty cool but man, all of those poor merchants.”  _

Garp probably heard all of them but paid them no mind. Even when what seemed to be his right hand showed up to talk to him, he just laughed everything off.

“So, what does a bastard like you want in the North Blue?” Garp asked him as they both stood on deck together. The crew was busy raising the anchor.

“I’m visiting a friend.” It didn’t feel like he needed to hide anything about what he was doing.

“Oh, you have those? Wahahaha!”, Garp laughed at his own rudeness.

“So you and Rosi are friends, huh? Who would have thought? I thought the kid was smarter than that, a Marine becoming friends with a criminal!” the old man added unbothered.

“So you know about what’s going on? I am surprised,” Mihawk shot back honestly.

“Hmpf, as if that old coot would just send anyone out when it concerns his own kid,” Garp complained.

“It does make sense when you put it that way, yes.”

“Look, I don’t trust you Shichibukai one bit, a criminal is a criminal, but let’s make sure that Rosi is doing alright, okay?” 

The pat on the back Mihawk received from the Vice-Admiral almost made him stumble. What an unexpected ally he had gained.


	6. Chapter 6

IV

“Thank you so much for taking me with you,” Rosinante thanked the merchant owner of the ship he was departing from. The old woman shook her head.

“You may look like a scary sort,” she began. “But you have been pretty useful to have around with how tall you are, young man.”

“Ah, I’m sure I made you more work than I solved problems,” Rosinante argued, remembering all the times he had fallen while trying to help out. He couldn’t help but sweat nervously as the old woman seemed to do the same.

“Bah, it barely matters now. I hope we could be of help. Good luck with your search, I hope you’ll find your little brother soon,” she told him with worried eyes.

“Yeah, me too. Thank you for everything!” he shouted back up to the ship from the pier he had walked down to. He waved with his whole arm one last time before adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder and walked on. 

The Ex-Marine didn’t even have it in him anymore to feel bad about lying to an old woman like that. He had told her a sob story about how his little brother and he had been separated after fleeing from a pirate attack and how he was so worried about the younger boy but didn’t have any way to get around on the Grandline on his own. She had bought it after she had gotten over his strange looks and her crew of merchants and the like had taken him with them out of sympathy. 

It wasn’t as if everything he had told her had been a _complete_ lie. Law _did_ feel like family to him at this point, he felt like barely anyone knew him as well as the little guy did. Shanks had offered him a ride off the Sabaody Archipelago but his crew had the New World set as a goal, so Rosinante had needed to deny the offer. He really hoped Doffy was not searching for Law like he was, but ultimately he didn’t know and that didn’t particularly help with the time pressure he was beginning to feel.

He was so tired. He had been traveling nonstop for months now and the party with Shanks had been the only time he had felt like he had been able to relax but even that felt like so long ago by now. 

Rosinante shook his head, he couldn’t give up now. He had to stay strong. This was no time to get stuck in his own head. He sat down on the corner of one of the piers and sat his bag down next to him. He didn’t have much with him but he had gotten his hands on a Log Pose, a map, and a change of clothes that actually fit him. After lighting up a cigarette he opened his map and took a good look at it. The island he had just arrived at was called Vira, it would maybe take two more months until he would make it to the Redline again and with that to the North Blue. He let some of the smoke from the cigarette leave his mouth. At least he was making good progress, he thought dejectedly. 

“Thief! Stop him!” someone suddenly shouted.

Rosinante quickly stuffed the map back into his small leather bag and looked around. He barely had time to register what was going on before someone had pushed him while running past him. The cigarette he had just lit up fell out of his mouth as he opened it to let out a surprised yelp and fell into the ocean. 

Being surrounded by the mass of water gave him a sense of Deja Vu; he couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, just like the time he had escaped from Doffy’s ship. The scars on his wrists ached at the thought. His body dragged him down more and more and he was sure he was going to drown here, on some island on the Grandline, far away from home, from his father, from Law, from _Mihawk_. He tried to give one more panicked try at moving his body when he suddenly felt arms around his chest as someone grabbed him from behind and dragged him towards the surface.

Rosinante was coughing rapidly once his savior and he had reached the surface and felt himself slack in the strong arms surrounding him.

“Stay still,” a deep voice instructed him. “I’ll get you back on land.”

The tall man gave a tired nod and tried his best to keep his body still aside from his uncontrollable coughs. It didn’t take long for them to reach land as the voice had promised.

“Oh god, thank you so much. I thought I was going to die,” he said as he heaved from his bent-over position on the ground. 

“It’s no problem, but you should know better as a Devil Fruit user than to sit this close to the water, young man,” the deep voice judged.

“Ah, you’re right. I have gotten pretty careless haven’t I,” Rosinante realized, feeling scolded. Sengoku used to berate him about this all the time, he could still remember it clearly in his mind. 

Having somewhat recovered he raised his head to finally take a look at his savior. He was met with a sight he hadn’t really expected. The man in front of him had bright yellow and brown spotted skin, jagged teeth, and webbings between his hands and all around his head. A Fishman.

“I’m sorry for having caused troubles, uh-” Rosinante tried to apologize before he realized that he didn’t have a name for the face in front of him.

“Just Hack is fine. And like I said, don’t worry about it. But be more careful in the future, for your own sake,” Hack replied gravely.

“Here, the thief went this way!” 

A screech from the center of the island caught both of the men’s attention. 

A squad of Marine soldiers ran their way and Rosinante could see Hack tense up. To both of their horror, the squad stopped right in front of the confused duo.

“You two, suspicious men, who are you. State your business!” the squad leader demanded.

Suspicious men? Oh no, Rosinante had a _really_ bad feeling about this. Hack seemed to think the same but tied to explain what had happened to them nonetheless.

“This man here fell in the ocean and almost drowned, I saved him and was just making sure he was feeling alright before I left.”

“Yeah, sure, Fishman. Men take them in. They might be the pirate’s accomplices,” the Marine ordered. The Ex-Marine was baffled. What sort of reasoning was that? Being unable to do anything Rosinante just let it happen, looking at Hack out of the corner of his eyes. The other man was doing the same but gave him a determined nod. 

What on earth was going on here, Rosinante couldn’t help but wonder while trying to fight down his own frustration.

IV

The two men had quickly found themselves in a cell underneath the port city. Their hands had been bound but since the Marines hadn’t known about his Devil Fruit, they had just used regular cuffs. Not that his Devil Fruit ability was of much use here.

“So what is your name? We never got to that part, did we?” the gray-haired Fishman next to him had finally gotten to ask him.

“Corazón,” Rosinante said with a sigh. 

“Ugh, this is so unlucky,” he mumbled out of frustration. Why on earth had the Marines been so quick to take them both into custody for doing nothing?

“I wouldn’t think too much about it if I were you, Corazó,” the Fishman addressed him, calmly. “ The Marines of Vira are known for taking in people that are the slightest bit suspicious, like you and me. They claim that they do it to keep the peace here, but that a bunch of bullshit if you ask me. Excuse my crass language.”

“You seem awfully calm about all of this,” Rosinante realized. 

“Indeed, this is exactly where I am needed. I apologize for dragging you into this but just stay put and everything will work out,” Hack agreed.

The man had a plan, the blonde realized with surprise. And there were more people involved in this. 

“I see. In that case… _Silent_ ,” muttered Rosinante and summoned a sound barrier. 

Hack looked at him with surprise and waited for him to elaborate.

“Well, you already knew that I ate a Devil Fruit from my accident earlier, so let me explain. I ate the Calm-Calm Fruit and became a Soundless Human. Everything we say in this radius will not be heard outside of it,” he explained to the Fishman.

“How useful,” the other man muttered into his mustache. 

Hack mustered him quietly for a bit, readjusting his position against the cell wall before he decided to tell the other man more.

“My group wants to know how bad things are here in Vira. The World Government had taken over Vira hundreds of years ago but not treated it well it seems. We have heard about some suspicious behavior here lately. The king doesn’t have a particularly good reputation either, not that many do, but I’m sure you know what I mean,” Hack started. “ Right now I am just here to figure out what the Marines position is in all of this, this seems like a place as good as any to start with that.”

“I am already here, so I might just go ahead and help you if you would let me?” Rosinante offered. Not like he could do much else now. 

“I might just take you up on that if you really mean it, your ability seems incredibly useful right now,” Hack agreed.

The tall human knew that Hack was not telling him everything and that was fine by him, he hadn’t given Hack his real name either. They were probably both aware of this. Rosinante was however interested in what was going on here. Never had he seen any Marine so quick to take just some travelers into custody over nothing. What was the point of all this? Right now all he and Hack could do was wait and see. From his time with Doffy, he was very used to that already. 

They could figure out what was happening in Vira.

IV

The more time Rosinante spent in the cell, the more he was reminded about his time as a Marine. He had been doing a lot of spy work back then, not only in preparation for Doffy but also because he was very good at it somehow. The Calm Calm Fruit had always been ridiculously useful, no matter how absolutely useless it seemed at other times. He had listened in on many conversations, stolen many documents but he had never done that _to_ the Marines themselves. 

In a way, it felt almost like he was betraying his father and everything he stood for. Sengoku had saved his life and given him the opportunity to live and he was showing his thankfulness by stepping on all of that. But then Rosinante had thought of Law, about the Tenryuubito and about how he had found himself in this situation and his blood began to boil. What was it that his father stood for? What was it that _Rosinante_ stood for? What was the Navy actually doing? 

The hands in his lap curled up into fists. He had always hated pirates that hurt civilians, that killed for sport, and the ones who forced unfortunate sailors into their service. But the Navy he had seen over the past year was no better. Had he been that blind all of this time? No. His eyes sharpened. He had known that the Marine was doing all of this when he had worked with them. He just hadn’t cared. Had thought they were right in doing so. It was easy to feel that way when he had never been affected by it. But now he knew it, the intimate pain and disappointment Law had felt, a boy and his whole home betrayed by the government that they had trusted. He had seen how the Navy protected many slave ships all over the Grandline. For the Tenryuubito, all for the fucking Tenryuubito. 

Rosinante could feel his blood boil. These _fuckers_. At that moment he felt like they were responsible for everything that had gone wrong, wished he had never been born under that banner. If he was related to them, then what did that make him? Was he really any better than his brother? 

_“A pirate is free, my dear Rosi!”_ Shanks had told him that evening on the Sabaody Archipelago.

 _You want it to, that freedom, don’t you? I can feel it!”_ he had said. And Shanks had been right. Rosinante did want that freedom but how could he be free when everything he had ever done was weighing down on him like this? He couldn’t accept the offer Shanks had made him on that day.

_“Join my crew! Let’s be free and have fun together!”,_ the captain had offered him with a bright and genuine smile. Rosinante was sure that Shanks had always known that Cora couldn’t accept, that he didn’t have it in him. He had felt too responsible for too many things, he still did. But what did Rosinante want to do then? He would find Law and then what? They would spend the rest of their life running? Law deserved better than a life on the run. Law was so smart, he could open up a clinic and-

“Are you feeling alright?” Hack interrupted his train of thought from his side.

Rosinante turned his head towards Hack. Right, he was here, in a cell, with a mysterious Fishman. He could worry about Law later. There was something else he had to deal with first.

Corazón had a suspicion who Hack was working for (or rather, working with). And if his suspicions were true, Rosinante had a decision to make in the time he had with the other man. He couldn’t just keep doing nothing. He had to take responsibility for once in his life, didn’t he?

“Yeah. I’m alright. Just thinking about something,” he replied simply.

“Alright. When the next soldier comes around we might be able to make it out of here and figure out what the deal with the Navy is,” the Fishman reminded the blonde of their plan. Rosinante nodded.

“Listen,” Rosinante fidgeted with his cuffed hand as he said it. “This is a bit awkward but I used to be a Marine soldier.”

Hack looked at him sharply. Had he been mistaken and made a wrong decision by trusting the tall stranger? 

“Oh?”

A bitter smirk made its way onto Rosinante’s face, “I cannot return to that life, to them. I went MIA months ago. I might be able to pull something by revealing my position to them though… I was a Commander.”

Hack looked at him with wide eyes, “That would put you in a lot of danger, once they discover what you have been up to...”

“I kinda don’t care,” Rosinante answered blankly.

The Fishman studied his temporary partner carefully. Another person let down by the Government then? Corazón seemed bitter. Whatever had happened must have not been long ago. He seemed genuine enough, but did the man really know what abandoning the Government like that meant? Hack thought about mentioning it to the other before he decided against it. It was not his place to question some stranger’s motives. If he wanted to help Hack, he would make use of that.

“What do you have in mind?” Hack asked instead.

Corazón checked his barrier and once he was sure no one could hear them through the walls, he slowly started to explain.

  
  
  


“Cadet,” Corazón addressed one of the soldiers guarding their cell. The young man turned around, confused.

“M-me?” he stuttered out, pointing a shaky finger at himself.

“Yes. My name is Commander Donquixote Rosinante. Marine Code 01746. I was working undercover. I need to speak with one of your superiors,” Corazón ordered calmly from his place against the wall. The guard looked at his partner, unsure what to do.

“Let me go check that,” the one guard mumbled to the other and quickly disappeared through the door leading upstairs. Now there was only the young soldier left with them. He looked at the two prisoners in wonder.

“Uhm- Sir! Is the Fishman your ally then?” the young thing managed to stutter out. Rosinante could see droplets of sweat forming on the Marine’s forehead.

“I don’t think you should be calling a prisoner ‘Sir’ of all things,” the tall blonde replied instead. Then he shared a look with Hack. 

“But no, I don’t know who he is. He did save me from drowning earlier, however, so I doubt he’s of any danger,” Rosinante elaborated.

“Are you sure? You never know with the-“ their talk was suddenly interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching through the door. Then it burst open.

“Release the commander,” the new arrival demanded. “I want to speak to the man.”

The small soldier stumbled forward and snatched the key ring from his belt and promptly opened the cage. Rosinante looked at the higher ranked Marine carefully as he stepped closer. The man was smaller than him and was wearing a brightly colored suit with confusing shapes and Rosinante wondered if that wasn’t against uniform regulations.

“ So you’re a Commander, eh?” the man asked Corazón.

“ Yes, Donquixote Rosinante, Sir!” he replied clearly.

The strange man tapped his chin and mustered him for a bit, “And this fishman here is your partner?”

“ Uhm, well -“

“ Ah! So he is. Nice, nice. Let them out Johnny!” the Marine declared without listening to Corazón at all.

“ Huh?” Hack let out a confused noise from his spot in the cell. Rosinante could feel the shackles leaving his wrists as the man in front of him opened them.

“ Sorry for all that-hm _confusion,_ I suppose _,_ ” the brightly dressed man apologized half heartedly.

“ I’m Captain Vert. I’m currently in charge of this Marine base, I guess.”

“ You make it a habit to just randomly lock up travelers?” Hack accused Vert as he joined them.

“ Travelers? Who is traveling? Me?” Ver asked one of the cadets in confusion.

“ No Sir, you aren’t….. are you?” the soldier who had brought his captain to the prison tried to explain. Hack and Rosinante shared a confused look. They stood next to each other and watched the exchange between the Marines as it went on.

“ Huh, I wasn’t? Then why are we here with these two gentlemen?” Ver turned to the released prisoners.

“ Why _are_ you here?” the man scratched his head, “ Vice Admiral Rosixiote, was it?”

Rosinante stared at the Marine in shock. Everything about that had been wrong. How could a man fuck up so badly?

“ That’s- I’m not-“

The Captain nodded solemnly, “ Yes, not here to answer my questions I know. I deeply apologize Sir! Let’s get going then.”

“ Going where?” Rosinante asked with furrowed brows.

“ What do you mean ‘Going where?’, you said you and your lover were hungry didn’t you, Sir Donante?”

“ First: I didn’t say anything of the sort. Second: Not my-“

“ Gahaha, no need to be shy, Sir! You wanted to see your Hotel room, so let’s get to it!” Rosinante was interrupted by Ver yet again.

The Captain didn’t let out another word as he strode up the stairs and out of the room.

The remaining Soldiers and the two ex-prisoners, stood in a confused silence for a few seconds. What on earth had any of that been? The Marines looked at them and shrugged their shoulders and pointed at the door.

“ Have a nice vacation with your boyfriend, Vice-Admiral!” the smaller of the two exclaimed with an unsure expression.

“ I told you-“ Rosinante tried to counter but was interrupted by a firm hand on his arm. Hack looked at the taller man and shook his head.

“ Let’s not bother with this,” he said, “We should just take the chance and leave, no matter how confusing this all is.”

“ You think so?” The tall man asked unsure.

Hack gave his arm a quick squeeze and walked towards the open door, “Yes. Best not to test our luck. Let’s go.”

Rosinante felt like tearing his hair out. This was so confusing. He needed to smoke. Sadly, his cigarettes and lighter were likely still as wet as the rest of him and thus unusable, so he resorted to grumbling under his breath as he followed the two men up the stairs.

Hack was the first to address the Captain in front of them, “ So, where exactly are we actually going now?”

“ Ah, good question. Now that I think about it…” the Captain mumbled. Vert came to a halt, stood still and then turned around to look at them with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, but we’re lost!” he exclaimed while rubbing the back of his head, messing up his wild hair even more.

“ What do you even mean! ‘We are lost!’ How!? We just walked up the stairs!” the frustration finally burst out of Rosinante. 

“Wait!” Vert seemed to have realized something, “I remember the way,” and kept on walking.

  
  
  


“Well, this is your room you two! Enjoy your time,” the confusing Captain left them in the room he had led them into. The room wasn’t too big but there was one singular king sized bed in the middle of it and a cupboard and a desk to its sides. A look out of the window showed a decent view over the city around the Marine Base.

“ So, can we talk about what on earth just happened or..?” Corazón was eager to ask his new friend. Hack walked ahead and sat down on the bed. He wove a hand through his silver hair and sighed loudly.

“ If you know what that was, please explain. I’m eager to know what is going on myself,” he let out just as confused. 

Rosinante walked towards the closet and tugged its doors open. The inside greeted him with carefully hung up Marine uniforms. 

“ Well, at least our plan kind of worked,” the blonde muttered out sheepishly.

Hack was suppressing a laugh, “ ‘ _Kind of worked_ ’ Alright ‘ _boyfriend_ ’”

“ Hey!” Rosinante exclaimed through his embarrassment, “ I tried to tell them otherwise! You were the one who stopped me!”

“ There’s no point in arguing with a confused man like that Captain. But more importantly...your real name is Donquixote Rosinante?”

“ Uh, yes I apologize for withholding that, I don’t like to throw that name around too much,” Rosinante admitted as he buried his hands in one of the white uniforms, dragging it into his arms.

“ Hm, as in Donquixote Doflamingo then? The new Shichibukai?”

Rosinante froze. 

“ Shichibukai. Right.” the Donquixote croaked out.

Hack looked at him with furrowed brows, “ Yes, the King of Dressrosa, Donquixote Doflamingo that was announced to have joined the Shichibukai a while ago. So, you know him?”

“ Do I know him?That man is my big brother.” Rosinante spit out and threw the uniform in his arms onto the bed in frustration.

“ King of Dressrosa! He really went ahead with his plan, how did I even forget about all of this!” he continued, joining the uniform on the bed. He was lying down with his head first in the sheets. His hands grabbed at the sheets. He had been so focused on seeing Law again, so selfishly had he ignored all of those others lives. How had it been that easy to just look away again?

“ God, why didn’t I do anything earlier? There’s nothing I can do anymore, it’s too late,” he almost wailed.

“ You don’t have a good relationship I take it?” Hack inquired carefully. The way the blonde seemed to swing between moods seemed anything but healthy. He could imagine that it would be hard for the brothers to be close, with one having been a Marine and the other one a pirate. But it seemed there was a lot more to Rosinantes troubles than that.

“ We don’t,” Rosinante mumbled into the sheets. “ Hack, you- Who do you work for? I have a suspicion but…”

Hack studied the frustrated human thoughtfully. He was fairly skilled, seemed to have a strong sense of justice, seemed like he had some meaningful connections, seemed desperate to help, desperate to change. Maybe this could be worth a shot.

“ Why do you want to know?” He asked back first.

“ I think,” Rosinante rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling with a distracted gaze, “ You might be able to help a lot of people if I my suspicions are correct”

“ You do? Hm,” Hack decided he was willing to take the risk, “ Have you heard of the Revolutionary Army?”


	7. Chapter 7

IV

  
  


“ Bwahahaha! And then I told Luffy how to use his hand to properly hit the mo-“ Garp talked and talked and Mihawk had stopped listening half an hour ago. Hawkeye had heard stories about Garp the Fist, Shanks had once told him about an encounter between him and his old Captain. But nothing could have prepared him for the insanity that was Monkey D. Garp, the man just wouldn’t shut up. 

Instead of listening, Mihawk was thinking about what he would say to Rosinante, what he should say. He wasn't a man for grand gestures or extensive talk about feelings but maybe this one time it was what Cora needed to hear. Mihawk had liked not to stay somewhere on his own, it had made his boring life seem less dull whenever he needed it. The castle was big and whenever they had needed a break from each other they had had the chance to take it. There were no prejudices or prerequisites between them, between their friendship and feelings. They had just lived alongside each other, connecting every now and then and Mihawk was ready to admit that he missed it.

_ “ I want to stay,”  _ Rosinante had said. And he could have, but what had stopped him from staying? Law, that child. The swordsman knew that there was a big possibility that if Corazón returned, he would not come alone. They could make it work, somehow.

Mihawk looked up at Garp from his sun chair on deck. The Marine was sitting on a small foldable table next to him, drinking a colorful fruity beverage. How the rest of the crew was okay with this was a mystery to the swordsman. 

“ Hey, Vice Admiral,” he interrupted the waterfall of tales that had been spewing from the elders mouth, “ How did Rosinante and Sengoku end up together? It is fairly hard to imagine the Fleet Admiral this heavily invested in something that is not directly concerning his work, I must admit.”

“ Hm? Senny and Rosi?” Garp asked caught off guard. He pinned Mihawk down with a look that probably meant more than Mihawk could understand, before he looked out to the ocean and began to talk, “ I wasn’t there for it but I think Rosinante had been an orphan at that point and Sengoku found him while on patrol. Dunno why he suddenly decided to keep a kid around but sometimes you just feel like doing things, right?”

Garp obviously knew more than that but the fact that he had actually told Mihawk anything was a success in his book. Rosinante and Doflamingo were orphans then? Curious but not particularly unusual. How had Doflamingo managed to become a king then? They couldn’t have been from a noble family, otherwise Sengoku could have hardly taken in Rosinante like that. He mentally added it to the list of things he wanted to ask Rosinante once they were reunited.

“ So, if it’s time to ask questions… How on earth did you end up meeting Rosi anyways? Didn’t force him into any criminal acts, did you?” Garp asked back.

“ Nothing of the sort. I saved him from drowning. Poor thing couldn’t remember anything for a while, even I felt some pity at that, so I let him stay,” Mihawk summarized.

Garp raised a bushy brow, “ Felt pity, huh? That’s not what we called it back in the day but okay.” 

Mihawk just stared at Garp with disbelief. Garp just said all sorts of things simply to upset people, Mihawk had found.

Garp caught the annoyed stare of the other man and began to laugh loudly, “ Bwahahaha! You young people always act so cocky, I’ll take you down a notch, you rebel! Just like my idiot son!” 

Mihawk failed to see the connection but let the old man go on anyways.

“ As if I’ll just leave Rosi in the hands of some criminal who thinks he’s special because he knows how to play with a knife! I don’t like liars so tell me, do you care about that brat?” Garp had leaned towards him when he had asked that question.

Mihawk didn’t even need to think twice before answering, “ Of course I do.”

There was no way he would be able to get over the awkwardness of this whole conversation. He barely liked to talk about his feeling with close friends but with a Vice Admiral? No thank you.

“ Why are you asking me this,” he questioned their topic.

Garp slurped on his drink through a yellow staw. He let go of it with a satisfied noise and went to grab for a cracker on the tray on the table.

“ Sengoku doesn’t wanna think about it but Rosinante won’t be able to return to the Marines at this point,” Garp began to explain while chewing on his snack.

“ He directly disobeyed orders, went MIA for months and now that his idiot of a brother is this close, it would be way too dangerous anyways.”

“ I don’t see how this relates?” Mihawk asked bluntly.

“ Well,” Garp shifted a bit in his seat, “ I have to make sure he’s safe and taken care of wherever he decides to go from here. Sengoku doesn’t have it in him to ignore his job like that, so I will simply do it for him. Old fart doesn’t know what’s good for him. The idiot.”

The swordsman could tell that Garp must have cared a great deal about Sengoku to do such a thing, so much in fact that that care and love must have also counted for Rosinante. Mihawk could understand now; Garp was the family member who had to approve of him. 

“ I dislike that we are having this conversation, I’m not going to lie. But I’m the last person who would want something terrible to happen to Rosinante, that’s why we are here in the first place,” Mihawk reasoned. It was awkward to talk about this and uncomfortable but it also felt strangely good to say out loud, the swordsman realized. It made this whole situation seem more real, not like some long dream he had failed to wake up from.

“ Hmpf, I’ll hold you to that,” Garp relented. He gave Mihawk another look before snatching up the snack plate and pouring it’s entire content into his mouth. The swordsman averted his gaze, not wanting to witness such a thing and enjoyed the Calm Belts sunrays on his skin. Oh, what he was willing to do to see Rosinante again, it was almost embarrassing to admit.

  
  
  


The first island the Marine ship reached in the North Blue was called Notice. It was an island that was calm, unassuming and it bored Mihawk endlessly before they had even arrived. The townsfolk were nice even to a scary man like him and Garp seemed to love it here. 

Their voyage had been without troubles, Mihawk would have to wait for Rosinante to arrive which also meant that he had to deal with the senile Marine during that time. The moment he had realized that, he had decided to stay as far away from the ship as possible. Thus his temporary home was a small room in an inn at the other side of town. In said inn he was sitting on a small table at a corner of the room, enjoying a glass of wine while spectating the happenings around him. He had left his sword in the room upstairs, his dagger would be enough would any patron fid the courage to challenge him.

There was a typical amount of ruffians and wanna-be-pirates mingling around that made the man miss Shanks and his crew. They knew how to party properly, that even someone like him would be able to enjoy his time. He wasn’t feeling such a particular joy right now. He was once again bored. 

The door to the establishment opened then and a small group of teenagers entered the room. They were all wearing different kind of hats but that wasn’t what had caught his attention. One of the children was different, Mihawk gave the teenager a dedicated glance just to make sure and indeed, one of the kids was a Mink. Quite the unusual sight for one of the Blues.  _ However had that child gotten here?  _ Mihawk couldn’t help but wonder. As he continued watching the group he realized that the small Mink was carrying a long blade. It was a cursed one, the dark haired man could feel it. 

One of the children took notice of his gaze and looked back at him. Steadily the teenager moved towards him, ignoring the worried pleas of his friends tagging behind. Gray eyes met golden ones and Mihawk could feel the accusation coming his way before it had been said out loud. 

“ Stop staring. You’re making my friend uncomfortable,” the brat told him in a cold tone. Mihawk had to chuckle at the protectiveness. 

“ I want nothing from you, child. I was simply surprised to see a Mink in one of the Blues. It’s unusual to see one outside of the Grand Line,” he revealed before taking a sip of wine. Had he also been so brash as a youth? He could barely remember.

“ You have met others?” the timid voice of the Mink asked full of curiosity. The ice bear cub moved towards Mihawk as he seemed to realize that Mihawk didn’t mean any immediate harm. 

“ I live on the Grandline, of course I have,” Mihawk agreed easily.

“ Oh man, Beps, Cap I don’t think we should talk to the guy… He seems like, super scary,” one of the other boys interjected. The child had reddish brown hair and was wearing a turquoise hat. It was not a wrong assumption to make, no quite a wise one, really.

“ Do I now?” the swordsman returned amused.

“ Of course he does, Shachi. You’re Dracule Mihawk aren’t you? You aren’t carrying your sword right now but your eyes are unmistakable,” the gray eyed boy who seemed to be the leader of the bunch inquired. The child was wearing a white, spotted hat that was covering most of his black hair. The adult could see the kids hands shake, but was unable to tell if the reason was fear or misplaced excitement. Young potential was such a delight to witness, even in its pathetic early stages.

“ I  _ am _ Dracule Mihawk. But who would like to know that? Who are you, brat?” the swordsman asked as he leaned back against the wall.

“ Trafalgar. Help me with something. I’ll make it worth your time,” the kid almost demanded. His friends were squirming behind him, panicked but Trafalgar kept his gaze cooly. 

Mihawk narrowed his eyes at the brat before deciding on an answer.

“ Sit down,” Mihawk allowed, “ I’m feeling generous today, so I’m willing to listen. For now.”

“ Thank you,” said Trafalgar and sat down on one of the stools next to Mihawks table. His three friends nervously followed suit.

It was not beyond Mihawk to acknowledge the image they must have made. A mysterious traveler surrounded by a bunch of freak children. It sounded like the beginning of a bad joke.

“ So, what do you need of me, Trafalgar?” Mihawk got straight to business. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and let his hat throw a shadow over his face.

“ I have found myself as a partner of a cursed sword. Teach me to become worthy of it,” the child explained in wonder.

_ So, the blade belonged to him, _ Mihawk realized. The bond between blade and wielder was fresh and new and a delicate thing but it was there, present enough for Mihawk to feel. The child must have been new to the sword art; still so full of wonder and passion and a deep connection to his weapon. Most swordsmen lost that fascination with age, with their loss of respect in the art. Mihawk knew to cultivate such behavior when he saw it.

“ Ha! I cannot teach you to be worthy,” he began.

“Worth is not something to be taught. The blade is your partner already, isn’t it? It has decided your worth the moment you first met. It is likely that you have nothing to prove,” Mihawk let Trafalgar know. It was true. The moment a swordsman and a blade met, was the moment their fate was decided. The Worlds Best Swordsman knew this better than anyone.

“ Is that so? All I have to do is to carry on as I have?” Trafalgar looked at the sword his friend was still carrying for him with doubt.

Mihawk nodded, “ Find your own challenges, set your own goals. Do not fear ambition because those ambitions will reward you. Boy, what is the swords name?”

“ Kikou,” the teenager replied briefly.

“ Hm. I will make sure to remember it,” the swordsman let out cryptically. He got up from his place on the stool against the wall and began to walk away from the table. His glass was left behind empty as he departed for his room. Leaving the young crew of pirates behind.

Four pairs of young eyes followed the swordsman until he was out of sight. When they couldn’t see him anymore, Shachi was the first to talk.

“ Wow. That was both the scariest and coolest thing we’ve ever done,” he said in awe.

“  _ We _ ? Shach, you didn’t do shit, my dude,” the teen that had stayed quiet until now let out.

“ Hey! Shut up Penguin! Did too! I said  _ something _ ,” the other argued.

“ Yeah, sure. You talked about how you were scared, very cool of you, I gotta say,” Penguin rebutted quickly.

While the two were busy arguing, Bepo looked at his best friend to his side. Law was lost in thought and Bepo argued with himself internally for a bit before addressing his Captain.

“ Are you alright Captain?” he asked carefully.

Law looked at his Mink friend with his usual frown. 

“ I’m fine. That was just not what I expected to happen,” Trafalgar said to his best friend. 

The young doctor hadn’t really thought that Mihawk would humor him at all.  _ Worth is not something to be taught,  _ the man had said. And he was right, wasn’t he? Law could feel his fingers itch to work on something. He needed to train. To become stronger, to be the person his blade would be proud to call his partner. Then he would be able to bring down Doflamingo and maybe one day thank Corazón for everything he had done for him. Tell him how much it had all meant to him. Maybe one day he would be strong enough to stand before Corazón and ask him, why he hadn’t come back for Law. 

Law looked at his friends. Penguin and Shachi were still arguing with each other and when the young Captain saw that Bepo was looking at them, a soft smile crossed his face. They were alright like this. Law had grown, he didn’t need Corazón anymore. But maybe one day they would meet again and Law could tell him all about the chaotic trio that was Shachi, Penguin and Bepo. He would love them. His first friends since Flevance.

“ Come on, let’s get something to eat. That’s what we originally came here for after all,” he interrupted his friends fight with the promise of food. The three friends let out noises of approval and went on their way.

  
  
  
  


“ It is strange,” Hack commented as he found his place next to Corazón.“ Ever since we have left the Marine base, my head feels a lot clearer.”

Corazón had changed into one of the Marine uniforms to keep up his and Hacks cover. The fishman and him had been able to move around the city freely and however they liked and they had used that freedom to ask around. Their search for information had come to a halt now and they were both standing underneath a tree at the corner of the village. The hill it stood on separated it slightly from everything below.

The blonde nodded in response to his companion. He had noticed the same thing. It felt like all of his thoughts and feelings had been jumbled up during their unpleasant stay in the blue tower. Rosinante found it hard to pinpoint if it had been his general situation at fault or some outside force. Hacks comment made him lean towards the latter. As did the interviews they had had with a few of the citizens.

“ I feel the same way. I wonder why that is…” the blonde trailed off. Hack hummed in agreement and sat down on the grass. Corazón followed suit. 

“ It definitely has to do with the Marines somehow. I’m getting the feeling this might be the effect of a Devil Fruit,” Rosinante wondered out loud. 

The people in town had told them all sorts of stories.

_ “ The Marines don’t seem to know what they are doing sometimes,” _ a woman had told them.

_ “ They come into stores sometimes and end up asking us why they are there in the first place! Sometimes the store owners have violent or even very docile episodes they cannot explain later on,” _ an old doctor had said.

_ “ Just last week I went out to buy some cheese and ham and when I found my way back home all I had gotten were liters of milk! I’m healthy like the next person, I don’t know what came over me,” _ a young woman had explained desperately. 

All of the tales had been strange but not necessarily harmful, that was if one didn’t consider the possible damage the mass confusion must have been causing for the Marine base. Both men mulled over the facts in silence. Coras train of thought was interrupted when he took notice of a figure at the corner of his eyes. A blur of blue and purple was making its way over to the two. The blonde tugged at his friends sleeve and pointed at the figure coming closer. 

“ Oh, “ Hack let out as he got back up, “ She’s finally back.”

“ She?” Rosinante inquired.

“ My partner on this mission. Her name is-” 

“ Hack, my darling!” a shrill but melodic voice cut the fishman off. For the first time in a while, Corazó found himself looking up to see another person's face. A blue, carefully arranged ball of hair surrounded a heavily painted face that sported a huge smile. A smile that became harsh as her eyes took notice of Rosinante and his state of dress.

“ You in trouble my dear? You need some Marine ass kicked?” she addressed Hack without leaving Rosinante out of her sight. The blonde could feel sweat collecting on his forehead. Hack smiled and shook his head much to Rosinantes relief. 

“ No,” he answered her, “ The man isn’t actually a Marine, we’re just using the getup to get some information. “

“ Oho? An unexpected ally then?” she kept asking. The look she gave Rosinante was more thorough than before, she seemed to reflect on every little thing she noticed about him. 

“ Well, not bad,” she admitted and addressed Rosinante directly, “ So, you wanna join our little group, huh? What’s your name, honey?”

“ Uh, nice to meet you. I’m Rosinante,” he replied, a bit confused by everything happening. At that moment the drag queen in front of him seemed to realize the lack of her own introduction and suddenly jumped back dramatically.

“ And who am I you ask?”, she declared, completely ignoring that Rosinante had in fact, not asked, “ I am the incredible, beautiful and sexy…. Emporio Ivankov!” 

She then looked at him thoughtfully and added quickly, “ You can call me Iva though.”

“ A pleasure,” Rosinante replied and somehow also meant it. It wasn’t often Rosinante had gotten to meet people wild and full of confidence like her. The Marines he had grown up around and hung out with as an adult had all been very blunt, bland and strict, just like Rosinante had once been. While people like that made him want to conform, Iva seemed to possess an aura of fun that begged for a colorful way of self expression. She was unapologetic in her behavior in a way that reminded him of Mihawk.

“ I like to be called Corazón. My real name brings nothing but trouble at this point,” he allowed himself to say. Iva just nodded sagely as if she knew something he didn’t, before Hack began to speak up again.

“ I took a risk here, involving Corazón, I hope that is fine with you Ivankov.”

Ivankov had a huge smile on her face and leaned into Rosinantes, “ Well, it’s too late for regrets now. I’m sure dear Corazón won’t cause us any trouble, yes?”

Cringing at the invasion of his private space Corazón leaned back as he answered, “ I won’t. Like you said, I’m somewhat interested in joining you. I want to know what’s happening here too.”

“ Then I don’t see a problem!” Iva exclaimed casually. She looked down at her colorful nails and continued to speak, “ As to what I have discovered… The overarching theme seems to be a sense of confusion. Nobody knows anything. The citizens don’t understand what’s happening.”

“ The Marines don’t seem to be any wiser either. We hypothesized that this might be the influence of a Devil Fruit but we don’t have any proof of that either,” Hack reported what he and Corazón had discovered.

  
  


“Wonderful, wonderful my boys,” Ivankov responded, “ We can work with that!”

“ The information you have collected is valuable and will give us insight in the larger scheme of things no doubt,” she went on.

“But as things are,” she began to explain darkly “, we cannot act. Boss told us to come back.”

“ Oh, you’re leaving?” Corazón tried not to show his disappointment. But it made sense didn’t it? What were three people supposed to do against the corrupt system of a whole kingdom? Nothing was what. A grim perspective when he thought about his wanted future endeavors. 

Ivankov grinned at him slyly, “ Yes, but you will be leaving with us. Welcome to the freak show, baby!”


End file.
